The Gray Knight
by Theblackbird123
Summary: Izuku has always wanted to be a hero. Good thing he is "The Chosen One". This is the story about how Midoriya Izuku became the strongest hero thanks to The Force. [A Star Wars influenced AU][OP! Izuku][Cross-posted in Ao3]
1. Prologue: The Spark

**A/N: Oh boy here we go. So, this is my first fanfic, so let's see how it goes.**

 **Now for some clarifications:**

 **This is a BNHA fanfic, but it will draw somewhat heavily from Star Wars. What I mean by this is that the characters, locations and story in general will be based on BNHA, but it will have concepts from the SW universe.**

 **I do not own anything except the plot and some OCs. The story cover was taken from Pinterest, go there if you like it.**

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"Speech" 'Thoughts'

" _Mental communication/phone/tv/letter/flashback/robot"_

* * *

 **Prologue: The Spark**

 **Year 20XX,** **beginnings of the 21st century** **:**

"… _And now with some breaking news. A massive explosion was reported today in the outskirts of Quig Quig, a relatively small city in China known for the large amount of research facilities located in its various industrial parks. The epicenter of the explosion has already been located in one of the biggest R &D facilities, a building belonging to Ji __ā_ _ng Inc., one of China's most important companies and one of the worldwide leaders in genetic modification. Now we are going live to the place of the events, where our correspondent Tsukawaki Asami will be able to tell us more about the situation. Good evening Tsukawaki-san."_

" _Good evening Kanada-san. As you can see, just behind me starts the exclusion zone, and only police officers, firefighters, paramedics and investigators can get closer to the epicenter. The strange suits you see them wearing are NBC suits, made for protecting them against biological threats among other things. Given the nature of the research done here, they are wearing them as a precaution, because it is possible that there may have been a leak of biological substances dangerous for humans. That also explains the exclusion zone. The investigators have been working all day inside it, and although the cause of the explosion is still unknown, they already have various hypotheses on its cause, the main one being the combustion of one of the large silane tanks used for the synthesis of silicone, due to a gas leakage. This first explosion would have caused a chain reaction, making the rest of the tanks explode as well, and creating an explosion of great magnitude."_

" _And has there been an approximation of the damages yet, Tsukawaki-san?"_

" _Yes, Kanada-san. The zone hasn't been completely cleared yet, but it is very likely that there haven't been any survivors inside the compound. For the moment around 700 corpses have been extracted from the site and identified, already making it the second biggest tragedy in Chinese soil in recent history. Based on the information made available to us, most of the victims died in the explosion, and the rest were killed by falling debris and third-degree burns caused by the fire that spread from said explosion. The number of people working here was near a thousand, so there is possibility that the number of dead will grow in the next several hours. The number of injured outside of the compound caused by the accident is also quite high, around a hundred people, and it is thanks to the facility being quite separated from other buildings that the number isn't higher."_

"… _My god. What about the economic damages? Has someone issued an official statement?"_

" _For now, the damages are estimated to be in the 9 digits, the last approximation being set around 950 million USD in material damage. Apart from the initial statement made by the authorities, another statement was issued by Wei Ji_ _ā_ _ng, grandson of the founder of the company Yin Ji_ _ā_ _ng, and current CEO, a few hours after the accident. He said, and I quote: "I want to apologize to the families of the workers who died today. They were great men and women, and their deaths were completely unnecessary. I feel terrible about this. I believed we, as a company, had one of the best policies in terms of security and safety, along with the latest technology, to ensure something like this wouldn't happen. I was wrong, the events today have shown me that. We still have long ways to go, but we'll get there, now even faster than before, so we don't make the same mistakes we made today. I also want to announce that the company will give a life pension to all the families affected by what happened and will pay each and every funeral, so they can mourn properly. We will also cover as much economic damage as possible, so that everything can go back to normal as soon as possible. I'll make another statement with updates in the future. That is all I can say for now. I'm truly sorry.""_

"… _Well, thank you for your time Tsukawaki-san. Have a good evening."_

" _You're welcome, Kanada-san. Good evening."_

"… _It really is devastating, the loss of so many people at once. Especially for the ones who were close to the lost today. Widows, widowers, children, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers. But in this kind of situations is when we need to grow stronger, when we need to look at Life in the eye and say: "You won't bring me down.". When we need to be united. So go and mourn your losses, and accept what happened. But don't give up. Get up and keep walking the path that is life. I'm Kanada Juzo, and this has been the evening news. Have a good evening."_

* * *

 **One year later:**

"… _In other news, we go back to Quig Quig, this time for some good ones. This morning a baby has been born. "What makes this special?" I imagine you're wondering. Well, the baby in question emits light! This is the first time in history a human has an ability like this, and the scientists are already working to see what causes this "Quirk", as they have called it. We go to our correspondent in the area, Tsukawaki Asami, for more information in the matter. Good afternoon Tsukawaki-san."_

" _Good afternoon, Kanada-san. As you said, the news of a baby that can generate light have spread like gunpowder in the scientific community. The baby and his parents are inside the hospital behind me, where a team of doctors and scientists have been subjecting the child to testing since last night, when he started glowing. They have already discovered that the light that the baby can produce is caused by a small mutation in his genome, and that other than this distinctive trait, the baby is completely healthy. While they aren't sure what caused said mutation to appear, the CEO of Ji_ _ā_ _ng Inc., Wei Ji_ _ā_ _ng, might have the answer._

 _In a statement released this morning he said: "It seems that even an accident as terrible as last years' can bring good things. Working in that facility were some of the brightest minds this world has seen, led by the master of genetic modification herself, Nozaki Kumiko. They were working on a secret project, codenamed "Spark". It consisted in developing a way to unlock the next evolutive step for mankind, through microorganisms that would be able to change the human genome in a way that would only improve it. If I remember correctly from the few times we talked about this, she called them midi-chlorians. She mentioned they would have characteristics that would separate them from the rest of the living beings. Sadly, I don't remember said characteristics given all the scientific lingo she used to describe them, and nothing survived from her investigations given the secrecy they were shrouded in. We don't have a way to detect and study them, but it seems she and her team finished them just in time. I believe this is their last gift for humanity, the beginning of a new era."_

 _The scientists are skeptical about Mr. Ji_ _ā_ _ng words, and only time will tell if he was saying the truth. Until then we will have to wait."_

" _Thank you for your input, Tsukawaki-san. Have a good afternoon."_

" _You're welcome, Kanada-san. Good afternoon."_

" _A new era for mankind huh? As Tsukawaki-san said, we will have to wait to see if these words come true. Until then, I'm Kanada Juzo, and this has been the afternoon news. Have a good afternoon."_

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **For those who don't know:**

 **The NBC suits are the ones that appear in the movies when the aliens appear. They are usually bright orange, and are really recognizable.**

 **The midi-chlorians in the SW universe are microscopic and intelligent life forms that connect the living beings to The Force. Here they will work similarly. There will be a more in-depth explanation in later chapters.**

 **Feel free to leave a review, or don't, I'm not here to boss you around.**


	2. The Beginning

**I do not own anything except the plot and some OCs.**

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"Speech" 'Thoughts'

" _Mental communication/phone/tv/letter/flashback/robot"_

* * *

 **Chapter 1: The Beginning**

 **July 15** **th** **, year 21XX:**

It was a beautiful dawn. The sky displayed a myriad of colors, from red near the horizon it transitioned to a pale pink, then a light violet, straight into a pure light blue, with clouds scattered here and there. The sun reflected on the buildings' windows, giving the city a shining appearance, as if it was completely made of glass. A soft breeze blew through the streets, giving the few citizens that walked through them a small respite from the already hot weather. It was summer after all. Some children were already running in the sidewalks, probably in their way to the nearest park, determined to make the most of their first day of vacation. All in all, it was a sight to behold.

Midoriya Inko was interrupted from her musings when she heard the lock of the door to her room. She gave one last glance at the landscape through the hospital window and turned to see who was coming in, being careful to not wake up the little bundle in her arms. At the sight of her husband, Midoriya Hisashi, she gave a tired, but happy smile.

"And here I was beginning to think you had fallen asleep on your way."

Hisashi let out a quiet chuckle as he settled on the seat next to her bed.

"Come on Inko, I am tired, but not to that extent. Have a little faith on your husband." He said as he grabbed her closest hand with one of his own. He took it to his lips, where he softly kissed her knuckles. He released her hand then, and turned his focus to the small being in her arms. "I can't believe he's already here, it seems it was just yesterday you told me you were pregnant."

"I know, we've been through so much, but having him in my arms makes it all worth it." Said Inko, directing her attention to her child. A few tears of happiness fell from her eyes. She wiped them with the back of her hand as she turned to her husband. "Is it done?"

"Yes, everything went without a hitch." He said, still focused on his child. He reached with his hand and grabbed one of the little child. "From now on, little guy, you'll be known as Midoriya Izuku." he said, and as if he had known they were talking to him, the baby slowly opened his eyes, at the same time the sun started entering the room through the window, making his emerald irises shine with the rays of light.

Inko, looking from above, relished in the sight before her, while she thought 'You're finally here, our little, sweet Izuku."

* * *

 **July 20** **th** **, four years later:**

Izuku jumped up and down around her mother while they walked down the hallway to the study, on their way to the computer located there. They had just come back from Izuku's appointment with his pediatrician to register his quirk, which seemed to be similar to his mother's, Attraction of small objects. The doctor had congratulated him for having a quirk, and after completing the form, his doctor had given him a lollipop and had sent them home. On their way back home, he had asked his mother if he could watch some of All Might's videos, and Inko had agreed, with the condition that he changed his clothes and washed his hands. Hence the actual situation. Izuku had done everything in a flash, and Inko could only watch him with fondness while she entered the password on the computer, while he jumped all around the room with excitement.

The moment the profile loaded, Izuku stopped and rushed to the chair while Inko got out of the way. In a mere second Izuku was in front of the keyboard, typing like a maniac.

"Remember Izuku, only rescue videos, nothing else."

"Yes mommy" he responded absently, causing her to shake her head while smiling fondly. She left her son in the computer, knowing he wouldn't disobey her, and went to prepare dinner.

"Also, remember we have to call your father later to tell him the good news!" She said as she left the room, which prompted an equally absent "Okay!" from her son and in turn made her chuckle. As she was going to the kitchen to prepare some katsudon for Izuku and her to celebrate the occasion, she passed Izuku's room, which made her stop, do a double-take and then sigh. Even though her son was the best a mother could hope for, he still had his shortcomings, and one of them was his untidiness. She scanned the room as she entered it, taking note of all the things scattered on the floor (most of them books related to different scientific fields, like calculus and algebra, physics, chemistry, and different engineering fields), and started tidying it up. Then she saw something that brought some memories back. The first book he had ever read.

* * *

" _Izuku was 3 months old when Inko first noticed he was special. She had just finished breastfeeding and burping him, and she was laying with him on her bed, watching how he seemed so focused in following the movement of his own arms through the air. Giving her child a look of fondness, one she was sure she would repeat many more times in her life thanks to him, she told him: "You know that mom loves you very much, right Izuku?" Izuku got startled by her voice, as if he had forgotten that she was right next to him. But then, something that Inko would keep in her memories for the rest of her life happened. Izuku turned his head, looked at her straight in the eye, opened his mouth and said: "M-ma-ma."_

 _Inko's first reaction was shock. After all, his pediatrician had told her that she should expect his first words around a year after his birth, give or take a few months, not three months after it. Thinking it was just an accident on his part, that he didn't mean it, she dared him to say it again. To her immediate surprise, Izuku moved one of his tiny, chubby hands and put it on one of her arms. Then he opened his mouth again: "Mama." This time he didn't even stutter, and his eyes bore into hers, as if saying: 'You're my mother.' Inko was left speechless for a few moments, but then her renewed shock gave away to an immense happiness, accompanied of course by a few happy tears._

 _Inko called Hisashi a few hours later, when Izuku was already asleep, to tell him the good news. He was in one of his first work trips to the USA, that later would evolve into a permanent work post for him, and he was enraptured by the news. Chuckling, he said: "I knew this child would be special from the moment you said you were pregnant!"_

 _She chuckled along with him, and feeling bold she answered: "Oh? So now you want to take the credit? Is that how it is?"_

 _At this, his chuckles changed to a full-blown laugh. "Someone is feeling sassy today huh?" he said as his laughs receded. "I also have good news for the family. My next trip is a little bit more than a year away, so after I come home at the end of this month I will be able to stay with you two for an entire year."_

 _Inko perked up at this: "That's wonderful news! I can't wait until we are all together." "Me neither Inko, I miss you two so much." He answered in that tender tone he reserved only for her and their son. Suddenly, someone talked in Hisashi's background. "Give me a sec." "I've got to go; the meeting is starting." He said after a few moments._

" _It's okay, we'll talk later. Love you."_

" _Love you too. Tell Izuku tha-"_

" _That his father misses him and loves him very much. Yes, I know." Said Inko fondly._

 _Hisashi started chuckling again: "You know me so well. I'll go now. Also, get the child checked out to see if he is a genius!" That last statement came with a loud guffaw, clearly meant as a joke, just before the line cut out._

 _Inko shook her head, a tiny smile in her lips, as she went to prepare dinner._

 _The day after she came out of the hospital, with Izuku in his baby stroller and the results that stated his incredible mental capabilities inside her purse. Izuku was indeed a genius."_

* * *

 _After that it was all a blur. When his father came back from his trip a week and a half later, Izuku already knew how to say "Dad", both of his parents' given names and half a thousand more words. He began to speak fluently when he was five months old, and finished his first book, the classic "The Little Prince", just a month later. By the time he was a year old, he already knew how to write, and was on par with children in their second year of primary school in all fields, thanks to reading all the educational books his parents kept buying him. When he was three, his level was in between last year of middle school and first of high school but still, both Hisashi and Inko decided to enter him in kindergarten with other children of his age, believing that not everything in life was raw knowledge, and wanting to give him a normal childhood._

 _At first, Izuku was perplexed by the fact that no other kid was on his educational level. But his parents had done a good job, and the kid was humble, so he took it upon himself to help everyone of his classmates when they needed it, never putting anyone down for their lack of knowledge and being, in the words of the kindergarten's caretakers, "An angel". This is when he discovered that he wanted to help people, he thrived in others' happiness and wellbeing, and when he heard about the heroes in their society, and about All Might, who instantly became his idol, he decided he would be the greatest hero to ever live._

* * *

 **A/N: Here's the first chapter. I won't normally update so fast, but I'll try to give a timeframe for the release of the next chapter in each one. Note that this will be an approximation, not a set date. I just really wanted to post this to get into the proper story. Given I still have an exam left to take (I must thank college for that), I'll probably post the next chapter next Tuesday, give or take a day.**

 **As I said before, review if you want, or don't, I'm not your master.**

 **Edit: I'm a dumbass and forgot to add the scene breaks. Now it's fixed.**


	3. The Darkness Within

**I do not own anything except the plot and some OCs. Also, rating is going up in this chapter. You'll soon see why.**

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"Speech" 'Thoughts'

" _Mental communication/phone/tv/letter/flashback/robot"_

* * *

 **Chapter 2: The Darkness Within**

 **July 20** **th** **, year 20XX:**

Inko was startled out of her musings by a loud hit against the wall. She had been inside Izuku's room, in the process of tidying it up while her son was watching All Might videos in the studio down the hallway, when she had found "The Little Prince" and had begun reminiscing. She quickly left the book in the correct shelf, and ran down the hallway to check on her son. She stopped on the doorframe, doing a sweep of the room with her eyes to check for damages. She found Izuku in the rolling chair, looking completely fine, if a bit sheepish.

"I'm sorry about the bang mommy. I was watching one of the rescues and got really excited because All Might is so cool and he saved everyone and-" he started, before she could say a single thing.

"Izuku, slow down, I can't understand what you're saying."

"Sorry. I was just watching the video, got really excited and pushed the chair backwards with too much force and crashed into the wall" he said, looking even more sheepish.

"Are you okay?" came the concerned question.

"Yeah."

"Well then, come help me prepare dinner, I think that is enough videos for you today" Inko said with the beginnings of a smile at the corner of her lips.

"Okay!" was the enthusiastic reply.

As they walked through the hall in their way to the kitchen, Izuku asked: "What are we having for dinner?"

"I think we should celebrate registering your Quirk, so I was thinking about katsudon, don't you agree?"

Izuku just cheered and ran ahead of her, and her smile grew even bigger.

* * *

After dinner, Izuku helped her mother clean the tableware, then went to brush his teeth and change into his pajamas, before helping his mother, although begrudgingly, tidy his bedroom (as all children do, Izuku hated tidying up). Then they called his father and talked for a while, and then he went to bed, waiting for the next day, when he would go with Kacchan and a few of his friends to the nearby mountain to do some exploring.

* * *

Bakugō Katsuki believed he was above everyone else in his class. The only one who could somewhat match him in his not so humble opinion was his childhood friend, Izu-chan, and just because he was smarter. Katsuki believed he was stronger in every other category, and as such, he was the strongest. So when he fell from the fallen tree into the creek during their exploring session in the mountain and Izu-chan came down to help him up, he started raging. 'Izu-chan is looking down on me,' he thought. 'He thinks I'm not strong enough, that he's above me. He's making me look weak in front of my other friends.' By this point he was seeing red, shaking and with a furious scowl in his face. He got up by himself, ignoring the hand Izu-chan was offering him, and then pushed him down into the creek, before climbing the bank back to his other friends.

Without even looking at his childhood friend, he pointed to him with his thumb over his shoulder, while keeping the angry scowl in his face. "That, or worse, is what will happen if anyone tries to go against me. I'm the best, and the second-rate extras that defy that will end up like him" he told them calmly, and the others, too scared to say anything, only nodded. "Let's go then. Leave him there, I'm sure he'll come up with something to get out." With that, he turned around and continued walking on the path, the others following him without sparing Izuku a glance.

It was at this moment that Izuku's bullying began, and the moment anger, betrayal, rage, hate, and other dark emotions planted their seeds and started growing in Izuku's heart.

* * *

 **A few months later:**

Izuku didn't see Kacchan during the rest of the holidays, and when classes restarted, he started getting bullied by him. He would say Izuku was weak, and humiliate him in front of the rest of his classmates. He would also burn him with his Quirk or punch him while the teachers weren't looking, and when word came out of Izuku's quirk, he started targeting that and his dream of being a hero, calling his quirk trash and saying that with it he almost counted as Quirkless, and he wouldn't be allowed to be a hero because of that.

Each snide comment and remark made by Kacchan, and soon most of his other classmates, made Izuku grow more insecure of himself, to the point where he had to ask his mother if he could be a hero, to what Inko responded: "Yes, Izuku, you can be a hero. In fact, I believe you will be the greatest hero in the world one day. You are destined to do great things in the future." The only thing this did was somewhat ease his insecurities.

His darker feelings however, started to bloom at a breakneck speed. The teachers, not wanting to provoke the ire of Katsuki, didn't even intervene, and that brought Izuku to the edge.

The last straw came a few months later. Izuku was walking home on a Friday afternoon, after the last classes of the week had ended. He was the last to leave, as usual. As he was passing by the park, he saw Kacchan and his goons tormenting another child. Izuku didn't even think. He ran as fast as he could and put himself in between Kacchan and the child just before Kacchan could punch him.

"I swear if you don't move out of the way right now Izuku, I will blow you to bits. This isn't your problem, so get out of here and maybe I won't go after you tomorrow"

Ignoring the sinister grin Kacchan was sporting, as if to say, 'please don't move, I really want to punch you', Izuku told him: "Kacchan, please stop this, you are acting like a villain. Didn't you want to be the best hero? Heroes don't act like this, hurting bystanders and-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP IZUKU! YOU CAN'T EVEN BE A HERO, SO STOP PRETENDING TO ACT LIKE ONE! YOU ARE SO FAR BELOW ME THAT YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE THE RIGHT TO JUDGE WHAT I DO, SO SHUT THAT FUCKING MOUTH AND GET OUT OF THE WAY, OR PAY THE CONSEQUENCES!" The scowl on Kacchan face was terrifying, but Izuku was already used to it, given that almost every time that Kacchan had looked at him during these last few months, he had that same expression etched on his face.

"I won't move," Izuku said gravely. At these words, the sinister grin returned to Kacchan's face, getting even bigger.

"Then you'll pay the consequences" said Kacchan, with a savage look on his face.

* * *

After the beating, Izuku stayed an indefinite amount of time on the ground, unable to move due to the bruises. Kacchan and his four goons had inflicted a big amount of damage, and the kid he was trying to save had ran away, not even thanking him for the help.

He slowly sat up, and then he tried to stand. At first his legs were wobbly, so the first few steps were slow. Little by little, he started accelerating, and after a few seconds he was running without a destination in mind, replaying the beatdown he had received in his mind time after time. With every replay, the rage, betrayal, anger, and above all, hurt, he felt increased exponentially. He didn't notice that with each replay, his irises started getting yellower.

* * *

By the time he stopped running, he was fairly deep in the same mountain he had gone to explore with his "friends". He cursed himself for going there, for bringing back memories that made him even angrier. By this point, his eyes had completely changed color. They were an intense yellow where the irises met the pupils, and progressively turned into orange and then red the closer to the sclera they got, having a completely red ring where the iris met the sclera.

Suddenly he heard a bird chirping. He looked up, where in a branch he saw a little robin. The bird didn't stop chirping, which enraged Izuku even more for seemingly no reason. 'Look at it, all happy and worry free, while I'm here suffering. He doesn't deserve it, like I don't deserve the way I get treated.' Then, out of nowhere, a thought popped into his head: 'That robin doesn't deserve to live, he's the same as Kacchan. They always get praised, while I get treated like garbage! They deserve to DIE!"

A sudden explosion followed by rain made Izuku snap back to reality. He dropped his eyes back down and noticed he had one hand raised in a closed fist pointing to where the robin was. He looked up again, expecting to see the robin where it was, but seeing nothing there. Then he noticed the rain. It had something strange. As soon as the rain had started it had stopped. But that wasn't the only weird thing. The next fact disturbed him even more. The rain was _red_. Then it all came rushing back to him, everything his senses had captured in the last few minutes when he was zoned out. His brain had just finished processing what had happened, and as he reviewed his latest memory he couldn't help but start feeling horror. At what had happened. At what he had done.

* * *

" _Izuku lifted his hand, with his palm stretched, as if reaching for the small bird. When he felt its life force, he started closing his fingers slowly. As soon as the movement in his hand started, the little robin stopped chirping and started floating in the air, as if held by invisible threads, and as the hand continued closing it started making what seemed to be choking sounds. Izuku's fingers stopped moving, continuing the choke on the little bird. Izuku subconsciously felt the conscience of the bird fading (the Fear, the Confusion, the Pain), followed soon after by his life force. He didn't care. When he felt the death of the robin, Izuku's fingers started moving again, still closing into his palm. The dead body started shaking in midair, the shaking getting more violent as his hand closed more and more. Then it happened. Izuku's hand closed completely, and the little corpse stopped shaking for a fraction of a second, just before it exploded. The skin, muscles, bones and innards of the body got volatilized, and the force of the explosion had the blood spread in all directions, painting the forest red."_

* * *

Izuku felt so sick he had to support himself against a tree while he puked. The only thing he could think of was: "I've just killed an innocent animal. It wasn't at fault. I've just killed, and I felt nothing while doing it. I'm a monster." All his rage had disappeared, leaving horror and fear on its wake.

And so, with an ever-growing feeling of despair, he started walking home, thinking about what he would tell his mom.

* * *

Inko was starting to get preoccupied. Izuku hadn't returned home yet, and his classes had finished five hours ago. At first, she thought that maybe he was with his friends, playing in the park or something similar, but the hours passed and Izuku didn't return home. She was mentally preparing herself to report a disappearance to the police when the doorbell rang. She practically ran to the front door and opened it, but any words that were about to leave her mouth died on her lips.

In front of her was her son, battered with bruises all over his tiny body, and as if that wasn´t enough, he was drenched in what she supposed was blood. A lot of blood.

"… What happened?"

"Can I take a shower first? Please, mom?" The tone her son inflicted in those words was so out of place for him, so broken, that she could only nod and get out of the way.

Izuku walked past her and got inside the bathroom to clean himself up.

Inko dreaded the conversation that would come after.

* * *

 **A/N: And that's a wrap for this chapter. I think I just aced my last exam for this semester, hence the early upload, as a celebration of sorts.**

 **A few things:**

 **Katsuki won't call Izuku Deku at any point of this story, because as explained earlier, he's the only one he considers near his level, even seeing him as a threat, so it would be complete contradiction to call him a name that means "good for nothing".**

 **Also, Katsuki calls Izuku's quirk weak because he thinks it is the same as his mother's. That was how it was registered and what everyone thought it was.**

 **I'm not really sure if what Izuku did is possible in canon or legends SW, but there are feats so much more ridiculous than this, so whatever.**

 **Thank you all for your support and the 5 reviews this has received so far. I really didn't expect it, but it's a very gratifying surprise. Btw, I've seen a review in Spanish, so if you feel more comfortable using that language feel free to review using it. Spanish is my native tongue after all.**

 **Next chapter will be posted sometime around the weekend. Leave a review, or don't, it's your choice.**

 **Until then.**


	4. Late Night Talks

**I do not own anything except the plot and some OCs.**

* * *

"Speech" 'Thoughts'

" _Mental communication/phone/tv/letter/flashback/robot"_

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Late Night Talks**

They were eating in silence. Inko didn't know how to approach the elephant in the room. She opened her mouth a few times to say something, but words didn't come out, so she closed it again. Finally, it was Izuku the one who started.

"Katsuki and his friends beat me up." He still had his eyes glued to his plate.

"… Katsuki did _WHAT?"_ The perplexity inInko's face would have been funny to look at any other time, but her expression changed to one of cold fury almost instantly.

"… he and his friends were about to beat up another kid and I stepped up. I told him to stop, that the heroes we admire so much don't do that, but he refused to stand down, so I refused too. They beat me up afterwards."

"I'm calling Mitsuki after this. She has to control her child." Inko was livid. How dare that brat act like that? Against his own friend no less?

"Please don't do it mom. He will just go after me even more." Izuku's face showed weariness when she said that, and even a bit of fear.

"What do you mean 'He will just go after me'? How long has this been going on?" She was getting more and more worked up. If that brat had been doing what she thought he had, Mitsuki, Masaru and the kindergarten were going to pay.

"…"

"Izuku, I swear to god if you don't tell me what is happening right now…"

Izuku finally raised his head and looked at her straight in the eyes.

"… It started that day I went with him to the mountain. We were crossing the creek through a fallen tree and he slipped and fell. The others weren't doing anything so I went down to see if he was fine. I offered him my hand. He looked at it, then at me and his face changed from happy to angry in seconds. He got up by himself and then suddenly pushed me. Then he went with the others, told them something and they left me in there. I still don't know what I did to him." Izuku had started weeping softly during the explanation, so Inko got up, took his plate away and accompanied him to the sofa, where she started massaging his back in slow circles to calm him down.

When he managed to calm down, he continued: "Then, when school started again, he started ridiculing me, and encouraging everyone to do the same. The teachers didn't want to say anything because of his explosive personality, so he was free to do as he wanted. He also hit me and used his quirk on me while the teachers weren't looking." Inko was so furious at this point that she was shaking. "It has been going on since then."

"I will make sure this stops Izuku, I promise." She vowed. The Bakugōs and the kindergarten had a lot to explain.

"Now, what you have told me explains the bruises, but what about the blood? Where did it come from? Because it's clear that it isn't yours." Izuku flinched and gulped loudly, diverting his eyes from hers, and Inko started to get even more preoccupied. She hoped her son hadn't done anything extreme.

"… Today after they beat me I started running without knowing where I was going. I was feeling really angry and hurt. I ended up in the mountain, the same I went to with Katsuki. That enraged me. A robin landed in a branch near me and started chirping. I turned my attention to it, and I don't know why, but I started to think it deserved to die. A sudden explosion startled me. I was so entrapped in my thoughts that I didn't notice what I was doing until it was too late. I… I-I…"

"What did you do, Izuku?" Inko didn't like where this was going.

Izuku started sobbing: "I killed it. With my quirk." Inko gasped and immediately hugged Izuku while he kept going, despite his current state: "I felt his life force, and as I was choking it with my quirk I felt his consciousness and life fade away. After its death, I didn't stop. I kept pressing with my quirk until its dead body exploded like a balloon struck with a needle." She was having a really hard time processing all the information at once. He had killed an animal, his quirk wasn't what they believed it was, he had been pushed to a point where he wished something to die. It was hard to swallow everything at once.

"The worst thing is that I didn't feel anything while I was doing it. I didn't even notice I was killing it! Only when I had enough time to reflect on what had happened I understood what I had done. What I had felt while it was happening. I could feel it's Anguish, its Pain, its Confusion, its Fear. And that still didn't stop me." Izuku had stopped crying, but his eyes were dull, devoid of any emotion, and his voice was coarse. He looked broken. "I'm a monster. I don't deserve to live."

That last statement brought a strong reaction from Inko, who was, by this point, hugging her son fiercely, as if to protect him from life's problems. She hugged him even closer to her as she said: "Don't you dare say that Izuku! This wasn't your fault. You were pushed to the point where you thought death was the answer. You aren't the one to blame here."

"But I killed an innocent being in cold blood! I didn't eve-"

"Do you feel remorse right now Izuku?"

"Well, yes, but that doesn't mea-"

"Then you aren't a monster. The real monsters are the ones who don't feel remorse at any point for their actions. Please don't dwell on it anymore Izuku. You weren't the one at fault. You were going through a lot of emotional distress. It's normal to lose control of your quirk in these cases. Don't worry, your mom will take care of everything from now." Izuku looked doubtful, but he didn't say anything. Instead he smiled at her, a tired, but true smile.

"Thanks mom. I needed to hear that."

"I'll always stand with you Izuku. Always." She gave him a big smile, the one she remembered have seen All Might give distressed people when he rescued them, when he watched his videos with her son.

* * *

The first thing she did after Izuku went to bed was call Hisashi.

"Inko? Isn't it like 1 AM over there? Why are you awake? Has something happened?" His barrage of questions didn't come as a surprise for Inko. She usually called a few hours earlier, and the last time she had called so late was when Izuku had caught the chickenpox and she had had to rush him to the hospital.

"Yes, something has happened. Actually, two things have happened. The good news is that our son's quirk isn't equal to mine, and it seems to be completely different." She spoke with an even voice.

"I get the feeling the other news is the reason you called." His voice was cautious, as if he knew what was coming. Inko sighed.

"Yes. I've just discovered that Katsuki, Mitsuki's son, has been bullying Izuku since this summer, and has been inciting other children to do the same. The bullying had so much effect in him that he accidentally killed a bird with his quirk. Their teachers didn't do anything to stop it." There was a heavy silence on the line. After a few moments, a sigh was heard on the other side of the line.

"What do you want to do?"

"I want to press charges against the kindergarten for negligence. None of this wouldn't have happened if the teachers had done something in all those months since the start of the classes after summer break. I'm also going to tell Mitsuki to get her child into therapy. I hope it goes well. I don't want to press charges against her son for bullying, but if she doesn't get him into therapy I'm going to do it. That brat has always had a megalomaniac streak, but it seems it's getting out of control. Someone has to stop him."

"I agree. If that behavior is encouraged he'll become a ticking bomb waiting to explode in the future. So, do you want me to grab some free days and come help or…?"

"I'd prefer you saved them for Christmas. That way Izuku will be out of school and we'll have some family time."

"Okay. Thanks for calling me to tell me. Sorry I can't be there right now." Inko scoffed.

"That's nonsense, you are working to give us a good life, don't feel sorry. Anyway, I'm really tired right now, and I need to go to sleep if I want to keep up with Izuku's schedule."

"Right. Call me if you need help with anything. Good night love. I miss you."

"I miss you too Hisashi. Good bye. I love you."

After that the line went dead, and Inko got inside the bed and started planning the events of the next day.

* * *

 **A/N: Kind of a filler chapter, this one. Not much to discuss about it.**

 **I want to clarify something that popped in the reviews for last chapter. Izuku most probably won't receive 'One for All', and this is my explanation for the decision:**

 **I want a character who, even though is above most of the rest, still has struggles and flaws, not a God among men. If Izuku received the 'One for All' the manga depicts on top of the skillset I have thought for him, nobody would be able to stop him, making the story a bore to read because no matter the situation, you know he will come on top. It's exactly the same that happens with One Punch Man, for example, but that one has comedy all over it because it's a satire of the genre, and I'm not planning on doing that.**  
 **Even if 'One for All' only neutralizes Izuku's dark side, as the review said, it still wouldn't be good, because it would happen the same that I explained before. You'd know, no matter the situation, Izuku would be good. That would take away all the duality that brings the dark side to the table, one that I would like to explore in this story.**

 **That is all I wanted to say for now. The next chapter will come out around Wednesday.**

 **Leave a review, or don't, you are free to do either.**


	5. Midi-chlorian Dreams

**I do not own anything except the plot and some OCs.**

* * *

"Speech" 'Thoughts'

" _Mental communication/phone/tv/letter/flashback/robot"_

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Midi-chlorian Dreams**

 _Izuku was in a black expanse. The only source of light was right above him, shining down like a spotlight where he was standing. He looked in all directions, doing a slow sweep with his eyes all around him, to see if there was something around him. Not seeing anything, he shouted "Hello? Is there someone here?", to see if he could hear anything or anyone. After receiving no response, he decided to start walking in a random direction, his curiosity having won over him and wanting to see what was beyond the darkness, if there was anything that is._

 _He walked for an indefinite amount of time, never reaching anywhere. This place was starting to give him the creeps, and he was slowly losing his nerve. It was starting to feel too much like a nightmare, his breath quickening by the second and his mind running more and more frantic, thinking of different scenarios._

 _Then he felt something. He didn't know who or what it was, but it was telling him to calm down. The idea felt right, too right perhaps, and Izuku hesitated, not sure if he should do what his gut was telling him to. Finally, after not seeing any harm in doing so, he decided to stop and sit on the floor. Something compelled him to cross his legs, close his eyes and start taking deep breaths. Slowly but surely, his heartbeat and breathing pattern started slowing down, and the wild thoughts that were going rampant around his mind before started disappearing one by one. After a few moments, his mind and body were completely calm, and for a little while Izuku only felt Peace._

' _It seems you have already discovered one of the main benefits of meditating, little child.'_

 _Izuku was jolted by the voice. He opened his eyes, hoping to see the blackness again, along with the person who had spoken, but the scenery was completely different from before. The floor was completely black, and the sky was completely white, the horizon that joined the two being different shades of gray. Right in front of him, a silver sun shone brightly, looking like a giant pearl, and reflecting both the light and the darkness of the scenery. 'Wait a minute' thought Izuku. 'Stars produce light, they don't reflect it, so that must mean -'_

 _What seemed like a chuckle resonated through the place. Izuku noted that it was made up from millions of voices, and it seemed to come from every single part of the space they were in. Somehow that had eluded his mind when he had heard the first sentence._

' _Exactly, little child. We are no sun.' The entity seemed amused by his first assumption, judging by the tone of its voice. Then Izuku finally realized he hadn't said anything._

" _Wait a moment, DID YOU JUST READ MY MIND? WHO ARE YOU? AND WHY ARE YOU TALKING IN PLURAL?" Izuku was completely astonished, and he reacted the only way he knew how, asking all the questions that came to his head._

' _You need to calm down before we can answer your questions, our child. When you have done so, we will explain everything we can.' It was the only response he got, in a tone that maintained some of the amusement from before, and also infinite levels of patience._

 _Izuku took a few minutes to calm down, doing the same as before, before opening his eyes and focusing on the being again. "I've calmed down. Now, can you answer my questions? And why did you call me your child?" He asked with a curious tone._

' _We are the midi-chlorians,' was the immediate answer. 'We talk in plural because this form represents our common will, which means it represents all of us.'_

" _Wait, wait, wait. I've read about you. You were the end goal of that project that was being developed when that huge accident happened all those years ago! You are supposed to be the reason quirks exist in the first place!" Izuku couldn't believe it. He was talking to the beings that made the quirks appear!_

 _The midi-chlorians started talking again after a few moments, not having expected him to know about the events. 'That is correct, child. How do you know about those events? Because we're sure that information is no common knowledge between people your age.'_

" _Oh, I skimmed over it in a book not too long ago. It said you were made by a genius to bring the evolution of humanity."_

' _That is right. Our mother, Nozaki Kumiko, brought us to this world with that purpose in mind. She gave us intellect, so we could fulfill our mission reconfiguring the genome for each person, she gave us the ability to nourish from light and darkness, so we could always be fed, she gave us immortality, so we could fulfill our purpose forever. We also received from her the ability to multiply in numbers, and the ability to survive in extreme environments. But the biggest gift she gave us, was being able to reach to the astral force, making us, and all the living beings with a high enough number of us inside them, able to use it. That is the reason we have only one will. We let the Force, which is in the side of life, guide us, and we do as we are told.'_

 _Izuku was speechless. He probably knew more about quirks than any other person in the planet. Still, being a curious kid, he had more questions._

" _So, does that mean that the energy the quirks use to work comes from this 'Force'? And does that mean that you are inside of every person on the planet? And what about other beings?"_

' _All of the "quirks", as you call them work with a mix of biological energy, obtained by nourishment, and the force. The force is what makes the quirks powerful. Hence, people who have a high number of us inside have strong powers._

 _We aren't inside of each human in the planet. The people who haven't got quirks are the proof of it. To develop a quirk, we must be present on someone's cells from the very beginning, when they are an embryo, so we can start the changes as soon as possible. That doesn't always happen, and in an adult we can't change things, because we would risk killing it due to the massive number of cells a fully-grown adult has._

 _Plants can contain us, but we can't make them develop a quirk. The same goes to most animals, but in this case, there can be some exceptions, like animals who have certain mutations that make the appearance of quirks possible if the Force wills it. We were made with the purpose of modifying the human genome, so in the hypothetical case of humanoid aliens it might be plausible for them to develop a quirk, or at least control the force.'_

 _Izuku could only gape at all the information he had learned in the last few minutes. He racked his brain, searching for more questions that he could ask, knowing this was an incredible opportunity to learn, before he noticed something._

" _That still doesn't explain why you called me your child, or why you can read my mind."_

' _The answer to the second question is simple. We are a fundamental part of most living beings in the planet, and that includes you. We live in symbiosis with your body, which includes your brain. That means we can see what you're thinking at any time.' Sensing his growing distress at the possibility of being controlled, the midi-chlorians were fast to reassure Izuku. 'Don't you worry child, we cannot control you. In fact, in normal circumstances we wouldn't even be able to talk to you like this.'_

 _At this, he was confused. "What do you mean 'in normal circumstances'? And how are you talking to me?"_

' _We are talking directly inside your mind, young child. That's why you feel our voices coming from every direction at the same tame. Truth be told, all this place is a representation of your mind, and our "body" is one you have subconsciously assigned us." After this the voice stopped, as if gathering its thoughts, before starting talking again, this time with a much more serious and even slightly somber tint._

' _These are hardly normal circumstances. There's verity you need to know._

 _First and foremost, we cannot tell you how you came to be. The will of the Force has told us you'll discover the truth about this somewhere in the near future, so don't seek for it, not from us, or any other beings. Let it come to you._

 _What we need you to be aware about is what you should focus on, so listen closely child.'_

 _Izuku, who had been fidgeting since the voice had restarted talking, completely stopped, focusing solely on what the midi-chlorians were about to tell him._

' _A short time before your conception, there was a great disturbance in the force. It completely changed the dynamic between light and darkness. Immediately after the disturbance passed, the force reached out for us. It gave us an insight of the future, and its will in the form of a simple premise. "Help bring balance again." Of course, we obeyed. We knew from the beginning that we could not influence destiny ourselves, for we don't have the power to do that. So, we decided to help create someone who could._

 _The result of that endeavor was you, Izuku.'_

 _The last statement was made with an almost fatherly undertone, and it carried hope. Izuku, however, was too stunned to notice any of that. Instead he had his eyes the size of saucers, and his mind was having trouble understanding what had been said. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before he blurted out: "_ M-m-ME?!"

 _The response came with a slightly exasperated fondness, before it changed again to a more serious mood._

' _Yes, you, Izuku. You have the potential to be the strongest hero humanity has ever seen. You have the highest count of midi-chlorians of all the humans in this world, surpassing even All Might. But it's just that. Potential. You'll have to be the one who decides what to do with it.'_

" _What do you mean?" The confusion was evident in his voice, not having thought he had a say in the matter._

' _As we said earlier, we can't force you to do anything, and even if we could, we wouldn't. We have already fulfilled our part. Now this becomes your choice._

 _You have already experienced the Light, all those times you've helped people in the past. You have also experienced the Darkness, especially during those last few months. You can follow one of those paths, or you can just walk away from all of this._

 _There's also a fourth path, one that can be accessed from two of the other three, and although harder, it will be more rewarding. However, you will have to find it yourself, and as implied, you can't start directly from it._

 _We won't judge you no matter which one you choose, and we'll stay by your side. So, what will it be, Light, Darkness, or nothing at all?'_

 _An expectant shade covered their voice at that last question, as if thinking they would have to wait long for an answer. They didn't have to. As soon they had stopped talking, Izuku's face had become determined, knowing what he would choose._

" _I won't ignore those who need my help, and I don't want to dwell in the darkness anymore. I choose the path of light."_

 _Izuku could feel the amusement radiating from the sphere when he finished talking. That was the expected answer after all._

' _Very well then. Let us finish explaining what you have just committed to do. The Darkness has been gaining strength ever since the disturbance. In a few years, there will be a battle of great proportions that will tip even more the scales in its favor. After that, not even the Symbol of Peace himself will be able to return the power dynamic back to where it was.' At this Izuku openly gaped. 'What did I get myself into?' was his forefront thought._

 _Sensing this, the midi-chlorians said: 'Darker times are approaching. That much is clear, but don't fret. There's still a lot of time to prepare, but you will have to start as soon as you can. We will help you train every aspect of your body and mind, and you'll have access to all our knowledge.'_

" _How will you do that? And what about my quirk? How will I train it?"_

' _Now that you tapped into your true power, you will be able to talk with us during meditation sessions and during your dreams. When you get more control, we will be able to communicate whenever you need.'_

" _Nice. What about my quirk?"_

' _You don't have a quirk, child.' Izuku frowned and rebutted this before they could finish explaining._

" _What do you mean I don't have a quirk? I do have one! I've already used it! I lost control of it and I killed a bird." The last sentence reflected regret and pain. He still couldn't get that feeling off his mind. The guilt probably would never go away._

 _The voice started talking again, with patience and understanding. 'You don't have one. A quirk is caused by a genetic modification that changes your body characteristics. We couldn't risk doing that, not when 50000 of us were planning to inhabit your body. A "Quirkless" human has less than 1000 midi-chlorians in his body. People with quirks go from around that amount, when they have a weak quirk, to around 20000, which is All Might's level. You have more than double that amount, you would be consumed by your own quirk due to all the Force coursing through you. The quirk would act on its own, not able to stop using the amount of power available. But you have something that is much better than a quirk._

 _What you have is the ability to harness the Force. To bend it to your will. That, in time will prove much more powerful than any quirk can ever be, and much more versatile. But that ability can be deadly too, as you experienced. That's why learning to control it will be the first step of your training.'_

 _This seemed to cheer Izuku up a bit. "What will be my training then?"_

' _When you wake up and you are ready, go to the mountain where you first used your ability. It's a calm and isolated location with a good connection to the force, perfect for your training. When you reach the mountain, just close your eyes and let the force guide you. After you have arrived at the place, do the same you did before to calm down, we will be able to explain more there.'_

 _After saying that the sphere started to diminish in size, but before it could disappear, curiosity drove Izuku to ask:_

" _Will I be able to remember this in the morning? And what about that extra path?"_

 _The sphere stopped shrinking._

' _You have eidetic memory Izuku, you'll remember everything that has happened,' came the explanation._

 _Izuku didn't know what that meant. "Eidetic memory? What's that?"_

' _You are able to remember images you see perfectly for a long time.' There was a small stop. 'As we said earlier, you'll have to find the way by yourself. We can only give you a small hint, so pay attention:_

" _Within the Light, there is Darkness, and within the Darkness, there is Light. Pit them against, and nothing shall remain. Put them together, and whole they shall become."' After saying that, the sphere started shrinking again._

 _That piqued Izuku's interest. "What does it mean?"_

' _That's something you will have to find, but when you do, you'll be at the beginning of the path,' was the last whisper._

 _After that the sphere disappeared, and everything went black._

* * *

 **A/N: Well. Here is the big chapter explaining how a lot of things work in this story. If someone has questions about anything, PM me, I'll answer them as best as I can.**

 **I'm going to take a small break from the story (it will be less than a week and a half for sure) because the new semester has started, and I need to organize myself before continuing forward. Something personal popped up a few days ago too, so I need to sort that out, and although I know the general outline of the story I want to write, I want to have more specific ideas on how the story will progress.**

 **I also want to thank you, The Howling Behemoth and Tombs456, for your kind reviews.**

 **Anyway, expect the next chapter in a week and a half tops. Until then.**


	6. Changes

**I do not own anything except the plot and some OCs.**

* * *

"Speech" 'Thoughts'

" _Mental communication/phone/tv/letter/flashback/robot"_

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Changes**

Inko got up at 8:30 AM sharp. She hadn't gotten much sleep during the night – after all, the events from the day before were hardly normal. Still, she felt oddly energized, ready to take on the day. She went through her morning routine fairly quickly, before going to the kitchen to get a start on breakfast. Before long, she had an English breakfast ready for both her and Izuku, who was just getting up based on the sounds coming from his room. She didn't really know why she had cooked so much food, but she had a feeling they would both need the extra energy later.

Izuku entered the kitchen a few minutes after his mother finished cooking, with his hair messier than usual and still rubbing his eyes. They greeted each other, before they both sat down and started eating, a comfortable silence spreading through the kitchen. Said silence lasted for a few minutes, only broken by the sounds they made as they ate, before Izuku spoke:

"Mom, I had a weird dream last night."

"Hmm? What about?"

"I don't really know how to explain it, but it had to do with my Quirk. I feel like I need to go back to the mountain to learn more about it."

"Are you sure that's a good idea, after what happened yesterday?" The worry in Inko's tone was clear.

"I don't really know, but I think it will help with yesterdays' events. I need to learn, so I don't make the same mistakes again."

Inko let out a short sigh. "Ok then. Just be careful please, I don't want anything else happening to you."

"Thanks mom."

"No problem Izuku."

By this point they both had finished eating, so they got up and started doing the dishes, Inko washing them, and Izuku helping by drying them off while standing on his stool. After finishing with that, Izuku went to his room to get changed before going out, and Inko got started on lunch.

A few minutes later Izuku came out and went to the door to put on his shoes. Inko noticed this and told him:

"Izuku, I need to do a few things in town today. I'll probably be back in time, but if you arrive first, please heat your food in the microwave and start eating, ok?"

"Ok mom."

Inko cleaned her hands and went to the door, where Izuku was ready to go out.

"You grabbed your keys, right?"

"Yup."

"Well then, have a good day Izuku."

"You too mom! See you later!"

After that, he bolted out of the door, leaving her mother slightly stunned.

'That dream really got him excited. I wonder what it was…' She thought as she closed the door. 'Anyway, I need to finish lunch, and then I can go.'

* * *

Inko walked briskly down the street, eager to arrive at her first stop, the Bakugō household. She wanted to speak with Mitsuki first, see if she was aware of the situation. She hoped Mitsuki didn't know, because she was a good friend of hers and she didn't want to lose that friendship, but she would do all she could to help her child, even if that meant not talking to her ever again if she knew what was happening and wasn't doing anything to stop it.

After a few minutes she was outside the front door. She rang the doorbell and waited. A couple seconds later the door opened, Mitsuki on the other side of it. As soon as she saw Inko, she smiled.

"Good morning Inko. What brings you here so early?"

"Hi Mitsuki. I have something important to talk you about. Can we go inside?"

At this Mitsuki frowned and stepped away from the doorway, gesturing Inko to come inside. "Sure. Let's go to the kitchen."

As they made their way to said room, Inko asked: "Is Katsuki still asleep?"

"Yes, yesterday we went to bed a little later than normal." They both sat down on the kitchen table chairs, face to face. "Why, is what you need to talk about related to him?"

Inko sighed. "Yes. Mitsuki, there is no easy way to say this, so I'll be straight with you. I know for a fact Katsuki has been bullying Izuku since that day they went to the mountain together during summer, and I think he's not the only one Katsuki has been bullying."

The shocked face Mitsuki had developed during Inko's brief explanation turned into a focused one, a short flash of anger showing in her eyes before being concealed. "And who told you this? Izuku? How do you know he isn't making it up?"

Inko's nostrils flared, her face morphing into one of anger. "Are you calling my son a liar, Mitsuki?"

"No, that's not what I meant, Inko. But he's four years old. Children that age have a wild imagination. Maybe he and Katsuki had a fight and he's just exaggerating it. I know my son is a bit wild, but I don't want to believe he's bullying others." Then Inko understood. The flash she had seen in Mitsuki's eyes before wasn't anger. It was fear. Fear of Inko being right. Fear of failing as a parent. She had also felt that fear. Admittedly, not much, because her son was such a good kid, but it was something that came with being a parent. So, she took a deep breath to calm down before talking again.

"I understand where you are coming from, but I know what Izuku told me is true. Yesterday he arrived home drenched in blood, covered in scrapes and bruises. During dinner, he broke down. He told me how Katsuki has been bullying him since that day they went to the mountain, just because he went to check on him when he fell from a tree into a river, like any decent person should. He told me how his best friend encouraged everyone in his class to mock him, how the kindergarten staff didn't do anything to stop it, and how your son used his quirk on him. He told me how today, your son and some of his friends tried to beat down a kid, and how he intervened, taking the hits himself. He told me how afterwards he started running without a destination in mind just to get away from that place. He told me how he ended in the same mountain where everything started, and how he lost control of his quirk, killing a bird and drenching himself in blood in the process."

At this point Inko was openly weeping, but she refused to stop. "And you know what? The worst thing is that none of what I just told you was the scariest part, no. The scariest part, by far, was the look in his eyes. They were completely dull and hollow. _Broken_. There is no way, no _fucking_ way, that that look was fake, Mitsuki. No one can fake a look like that."

Mitsuki just looked at her, speechless. She knew Inko was prone to tearing up easily, but she hadn't seen her this affected in a long time. She had even cussed – something she only did when she was deeply upset. This only reinforced the belief that she was telling the truth, which meant that her son was indeed bullying Izuku, and probably others. Before she could say anything back though, she heard footsteps upstairs.

"Wait here," she whispered to Inko. "I'm going to ask Katsuki before he notices you are here."

Inko only nodded, wiping tears from her face with her handkerchief. Mitsuki went upstairs and into her son's bedroom. It seemed that he had just returned from the bathroom and was starting to change his clothes, but if his eyes were anything to go by, he was still sleepy. Perfect for what she intended to do. Putting on a smile that did not quite reach her eyes, she said:

"Good morning Katsuki." After her son's response (a gruff "Morning, mom", or as gruff as a four-year-old could sound) she asked:

"So, today is a beautiful day, and I was thinking maybe we could call Izuku and invite him to spend the day here with us. What do you think? He hasn't been around in a while." The answer she got, while expected, wasn't the one she was hoping for.

" _HAH?_ I don't want him around me. I want him to disappear."

"But isn't he your friend Katsuki? How can you talk about him like that?"

"He isn't my friend. I hate him. He has a weak quirk and he still acts as if he's better than me. I had to teach him a lesson yesterday because he didn't leave us alone." At this, the smile that was slowly fading from her face as her son talked completely vanished, her face becoming a calm mask that hid the cold rage beginning to appear inside her after the clear insinuation that her son was indeed bullying his supposed friend.

"How many 'lessons' have you given him, Katsuki?" Katsuki, still sleepy, didn't hear the dangerous edge in her voice as she asked.

"I dunno. It started this summer, because he wouldn't leave us alone, and I've had to do it a bunch of times because he keeps coming back." He yawned. "Can I go now to have breakfast?"

That did it.

"Katsuki, you've just told me that you have been bullying your closest friend and all you care about is _BREAKFAST?!_ YOU. ARE. GROUNDED! Forget about breakfast for today, and any other thing you may want for at least two weeks! And wait 'till your father comes back from his morning run. We're going to have a serious talk." After finally snapping at him, she turned around and slammed the door shut as she left, leaving her stunned son behind.

She returned to the kitchen with her face completely red, in part because of the rage that still burned inside of her, but also because of the shame she felt. The tears stung in her eyes. How could she have raised a kid like that?

Seeing her so affected, Inko immediately stood up and wrapped her in a hug. The sobs didn't take long to appear.

"I-I'm sorry, Inko. I'm sorry t-that Izuku had to go through that be-because of my son. I'm such a bad m-mother."

"Shhhh. Don't say that. You aren't a bad mother. You just don't have the experience, same as me. Everyone makes mistakes. But mistakes can be fixed, and the first step of doing so is to know there is one."

They stood for a few minutes just hugging before separating.

"I'm really sorry, Inko," Mitsuki said while wiping her tears with her hand.

"Don't worry about it. I'm just thankful that Izuku will have it better from now on. Anyway, I need to get going, I have to go to the kindergarten to demand they fire the staff responsible for negligence."

"Go get'em Inko," Mitsuki told her as she left.

A few minutes later Bakugō Masaru came through the front door. When the first words he heard after entering the house weren't "good morning" or "how was your morning run?", but "Masaru, we need to talk", he couldn't help but think 'Oh no. The party's over.'

* * *

Inko was sitting on the principal's office. Usually, the kindergarten was closed during weekends, but Inko had phoned the principal for an urgent meeting. She had agreed, and now here she was, waiting for the principal to arrive with the coffee she had gone to get.

After a few minutes, the principal, a middle-aged woman with a professional look called Hiroyuki Megumi, entered the office and closed the door. After she sat down she asked:

"So, what is this emergency you wanted to talk about?" Inko was surprised at her forwardness, but she appreciated it nonetheless. She wanted to finish this as soon as possible.

"Yesterday I discovered that my son Izuku, who currently attends this kindergarten, has been suffering bullying during class and none of the staff have done anything to stop it. I know that you have just started working here, but I need you to take measures, or I'll be forced to sue the kindergarten." As soon as she finished talking she saw the principal sigh and bow her head for a moment before meeting her eyes once again.

"Let me guess, this has to do with one Bakugō Katsuki, am I right?" Inko blinked, surprised that her guess was right.

"Yes, you are right. If I may ask, how do you know? And if you know, why haven't you done anything?"

"I'll be frank with you. As you know, I took over as principal less than a month ago. Well, in those three and a half weeks I've been in charge seven different parents have talked to me because of similar concerns. I already gave an ultimatum to the teachers responsible of your son's class, and that was two weeks ago, after four parents came in consecutive days to address this. There hasn't been any noticeable change since then, so I was planning to fire them as soon as Monday rolls around. I already have their replacements ready, picked by me personally, and I know they work well, so that sorts one part of the problem. As for Katsuki himself, I wanted to get in contact with his parents, but between all the bureaucracy I've had to fill to become the new principal and searching for the adequate replacements, I haven't had the time to do so, but as soon as I can I will contact them, so you can rest assured."

Inko could only blink for a few seconds before she broke out of her stupor. She had expected having to fight for the expulsion of the staff, not this. In any case, it eased her worries.

"I wasn't expecting this when I arrived. I thought I would have to fight more for the situation to change to be honest." At this Megumi formed a small smirk in her face.

"Yes, I noticed. So, will that be all we need to discuss?"

"I believe so, yes." At this they both got up from their seats and started walking to the exit, Inko waiting for Megumi to lock the doors. As they made their way to the outside Inko said:

"I forgot to mention this earlier, but I've already talked with Mitsuki, Katsuki's mother. We've been friends for a long time, and from what I could hear while I was there, Katsuki was in a lot of trouble, so you shouldn't have to worry too much about him."

"Thanks for the notice, but I'll call anyway. They need to be aware that the kindergarten has taken notice of their son's behavior." At this Inko smirked.

"I think we're going to get along well." This elicited a laugh from Megumi.

"I hope so. Anyway, see you around." After this they went their separate ways.

As Inko was returning home she got a text on her phone. She was surprised to see it was from Mitsuki. Wondering what it could be about, she opened it and started reading:

" _Hi Inko. I just wanted to let you know that we have decided to take Katsuki to a psychologist. Masaru and I had a long talk with him and he seems to think he's better than the rest of his colleagues, and we can't shake that notion from him. I think he has something along the lines of Egotism. We'll see what the doctor's verdict is. I'll tell you when I know more."_

Inko wrote a quick response back, briefly explaining how the meeting with the principal had gone and giving her a heads up about the incoming call, and then put her phone away. Slowly a smile appeared on her face. She was sure the incoming changes would be great for everyone involved.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello there!**

 **So. New chapter. It's been a while huh?**

 **I basically got trampled by life (first college and then my summer job), hence the *checks last update date* six-month delay. I sincerely apologize.**

 **I haven't started on the next chapter yet, but I have a rough draft of how it will be, so I hope it won't take me too long to update.**

 **Leave a review. Or don't. I'll still be flying half a ship.**


	7. Laying the foundations

**I do not own anything except the plot and some OCs.**

* * *

"Speech" 'Thoughts'

" _Mental communication/phone/tv/letter/flashback/robot"_

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Laying the foundations**

Izuku ran as fast as his short legs let him. He was eager to arrive to the mountain to start his training. After waking up this morning he had gotten more and more excited about the dream and all the possibilities his powers could give him. That excitement wasn't the only thing he felt for his powers though – after the events of the previous day, he couldn't deny he was also scared. Scared of his power, of all the damage he could cause with it if he wasn't careful.

'I wonder what the training will consist of,' Izuku mused while running. 'They said that they would train both my body and mind, but how?' He was so lost in his thoughts that he almost didn't notice he was already at the base of the mountain. At this, his nervousness started to grow.

'Well, here goes nothing.' He closed his eyes, as the midi-chlorians had told him to do, and waited. At first, he didn't feel anything, but then a small sensation made it to the forefront of his mind. It was weird, like a weak magnetic pull, that didn't force him to move but simply showed him the way. 'Huh, that's a first' was all he could think about the sensation. He supposed this was what they were talking about, so he started to follow the pull. After a few minutes walking it disappeared completely, startling him, and he opened his eyes again.

His breath caught in his throat. He was in a place that belonged in a movie set. That was the only way he could describe it. It was a small clearing in the woods of the mountain, with a stream that formed a waterfall and fell into a small lake before continuing its course through the rest of the mountain. There were flowers everywhere, with various insects flying to and fro, filling the whole place with vibrant colors. A few animals were roaming around the clearing and trees surrounding it, from small squirrels running on the branches to a few deers grazing the grass. A wide tree stump sat alone in the middle of the clearing, completely flat and cleared of moss, dirt and other debris, as if put there for a reason. The combined sound of the waterfall, the rustling of the leaves and the different forms of life created a soothing sound that immediately drained all his anxiousness. It was the most beautiful place he had seen in his short life.

After a few moments just appreciating the sight, he took a few careful steps into the clearing, expecting most of the animals to run away after hearing him approach. Strangely enough, that didn't happen. They just looked up to see him approach, and then they went back to what they were doing. He found it strange, but nonetheless he kept going until he reached the stump and sat on top of it. He got into the same position he had during last night's 'dream' and started regulating his breathing. After a few moments he felt a presence in front of him, and after opening his eyes he saw that the silver ball that represented the midi-chlorians was floating there.

" _Good morning Izuku."_

"Good morning Sensei."

" _Sensei?"_

At this Izuku blushed and mumbled: "Well, you don't really have names, and saying 'midi-chlorians' each time takes too long, so I thought Sensei would be shorter. It's also true, given that you are going to teach me." He felt amusement radiating from the sphere.

" _If that's how you want to call us, so be it. So, let's get started with your training. Firs-"_

"Can I ask something before we start?" His curiosity got the better of him.

" _Sure, go ahead."_

"How am I able to see you right now? You don't cast a shadow, so you aren't physically here, and yet I can see you." He was perplexed. How was that possible?

" _Oh, right. Your brain is basically superimposing us in what you're seeing."_

"Superimposing? What's that?" That was a word he had never heard nor read.

" _It means that your brain is putting us over whatever you're seeing, like when you draw something, cut it and then put it over another drawing."_

"Oh! I get it now!"

" _Anyway, let's start. First of all, a warning. This place, like we told you last night, is teeming with the force, hence the abundance of life. As you may have noticed already, there are no physical paths to enter or exit it, and the only way to access it is the use of the force. This makes it a perfect location to undergo your training, as you won't be disturbed, but it also means you need to take care of not damaging it because it is a haven for the living beings of this mountain. If you decide to bring someone here, make sure it's someone you trust enough to follow this rule. Also, don't let them get out by themselves, or they will surely get lost in the forest."_

"Got it," Izuku nodded.

" _Let's begin then. Your training will be divided into a physical part and a psychic part, each of them divided into more parts. You will also have to follow a diet from now on, to make sure you're getting all the necessary nutrients you eat. This diet will be modified as you grow, to compensate for body changes."_

"Ok," Izuku answered. 'I wonder what mom will say about it…'

" _Your physical training will be divided into three segments, and you will go through them sequentially. You'll start with learning different martial arts, then a stamina and strength training, and finally learning armed combat."_

At this Izuku furrowed his brows. "Wouldn't it be better to start with stamina and strength and then do the rest?"

" _That would be the case if you were older, but you are too young for that. If you started with that part first your growth would be hindered by the strain you put on the muscles and bones so early on. There's a benefit to it too, and that's the fact that the younger you are the easier it is for you to learn things. This way you'll be able to learn more combat techniques, and then when you are older you can do the strengthening training without any drawbacks in your body. Armed combat would go last because it requires more stamina to wield a weapon."_

"And what martial arts will I learn?"

" _That is entirely up to you. We can teach you whichever you want, but we expect you to master at least five of them in the next five years, when you will possibly be able to move on to the next step."_

Izuku's eyes were big as saucers: "F-f-FIVE!? How am I supposed to learn and master five martial arts in five years?"

" _Don't fret. You'll soon learn that it's not as difficult as you think."_

Izuku pouted and mumbled: "Easy for you to say, you're not the one doing it." Amusement radiated from his sensei.

" _Moving on. The psychic part of the training won't be only focused on your control over the force, but also on the ampliation of your knowledge. We will teach you as much as possible in all of the fields we can cover, increasing gradually the contents complexity to match your high intellect."_

"But isn't it enough with what I'm learning on my own? I could also request to be moved to a higher grade if I need it."

" _Izuku, to be blunt, no one can teach you more than we do. We've been collecting information of all kinds since we were created, and at this point we can be considered as the biggest database in history._

 _Knowledge is power, Izuku. That is something humans have known since millennia gone by. The more you know, the more prepared you will be in the future._

 _We will also teach you languages, because you never know when they might be useful."_

'At this rate I won't have a life to live' sweat dropped Izuku. He got startled when they answered _"Yes, you will."_ He had forgotten that they could hear his thoughts.

" _Until you understand better how to reach into the force for us, you will have to come here, for this place serves as a signal amplifier, if you will, but once you get the hang of it you'll only have to come for the physical part of the training. We will be able to communicate in your home and do the other part there._

 _We also encourage you to pick up more hobbies. We saw you started a quirk analysis notebook, which is great, but in the end, it is analysis. Don't stop doing it, but write, or draw, or play an instrument, or something of the kind. This will boost your creativity and help you think outside the box, making you more resourceful in unexpected situations."_

"But with all that you want me to do, I won't have time to use on my hobbies! You are asking too much from me!" Izuku, at this point, was almost panicking.

" _Izuku, you were the one who accepted this responsibility. Besides, we think you are blowing this out of proportion inside your head. Your classes with us will take us around three hours a day, four if we get too into it."_

"But with all of the contents you want to teach me that's not enough!"

" _Trust us, it is. Now go. Return home. And remember to come tomorrow with at least one martial art you want to master."_ After that the connection was severed, and the sphere disappeared, while a schedule and a diet table seemingly appeared from out of nowhere in his mind. 'This must be the schedule and diet they told me I have to follow.' As they had said, daily classes with them only lasted three hours, leaving him with a surprising amount of free time.

Izuku got up and groaned as he stretched his legs. They were cramping up. He checked his All Might watch – and immediately blanched. It was already past lunchtime. His mom would be so pissed.

He sighed, closed his eyes and let the force guide him out of the clearing. After returning to the path, he started running back home, praying for mercy.

* * *

Inko was worried. She had returned home expecting to see Izuku watching tv or reading. Hell, she wouldn't even be mad if she found him eating, even though their normal lunchtime had passed almost an hour ago. But no, she couldn't find him anywhere in the house, which could only mean something had happened to him while he was out. Anxiety started kicking in, fear of anything bad happening to him settling in her mind. Then, she heard the door lock, meaning someone was opening the door, which made her go back to the entrance. She turned the corner just as Izuku closed the door, and as soon as he turned back, and she saw that he was okay, she closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief.

Izuku let himself relax a bit when he saw his mother sigh, beginning to believe he was out of trouble. His hopes went out of the window however, the moment he felt it. He didn't know if it was due to his quirk or not, but suddenly he started getting goosebumps, just as his mother started grinning, and with a soft tone, her voice a smooth silk that belied her anger, she asked:

" _Izuku~_ Mind telling your mother why you weren't home when you were supposed to?"

An audible gulp could be heard before Izuku answered: "I-Uhm-I-I k-kinda lost track of time?"

The only warning he had before getting the worst lecture of his (short) lifetime at was the twitch on her mother's eye.

* * *

Neither of them had spoken during lunch, Inko still calming down from her outburst and Izuku too fearful of rekindling his mother's wrath to say anything. In the end it was her who spoke first.

"I'm still angry about you not being here on time, but I've got to admit that I'm curious about why you lost track of time. So, what happened?"

"I-it's kinda difficult to explain."

Inko sighed. "Izuku, stop being so skittish. Yes, I am mad with you, but that doesn't mean I'll stop loving you, or anything of the sort. In fact, I'm mad with you because you made me really worry. That being said, I hope you know you can count on me, and that I will always be there for you. I won't press if it makes you uncomfortable." She got up and started clearing the table, leaving Izuku to think over her words.

* * *

'Should I tell her?' That was the question Izuku could not find an answer for. He had been pondering both answers to it and couldn't decide which was the better course of action. On one hand, having both, or at least one of his parents knowing what was going on could benefit him greatly, having their support would translate into a better training regime, but on the other hand they could not believe him, or even worse, oppose to what he wanted to do.

In the end he decided to take the gamble. The benefits far outweighed the downsides. He would not tell her everything though. He loved her mother to bits, but he knew she was a worrier, and he could only imagine her reaction if she knew what was supposedly in store for him.

Still, he could wait until dinner to let her in on the situation. Right now, he had to look for martial arts to get trained in.

* * *

Dinner was, once again, a quiet affair. They both ate in silence, Izuku not knowing how to broach the conversation. After they finished eating they both started doing the dishes and clearing the table. It was at this time Izuku decided to spill the beans.

"Mom, I-"

"Izuku, I for-" they both cut each other.

"Sorry, go first mom."

"Okay. I just remembered that I didn't really tell you what I did this morning because of the incident this afternoon."

"Oh, right. What happened?"

"I talked with the principal, and it seems that your teachers are going to change. I also talked with Katsuki's mom. I think things are going to get better now."

The hug she received from him came as a surprise, but she was quick to reciprocate.

"Thank you, mom."

Inko sighed. "You're welcome Izuku. So, what did you want to tell me?"

"I wanted to talk about why I was late today." Inko could clearly see he was nervous.

"Well, go ahead. I'm all ears."

"I-I need you to promise me that you won't tell anyone except dad what I'm about to tell you."

"Sure." It was obvious he didn't like the answer.

"Mom, I'm serious, what I'm going to tell you is really important."

'I'm starting to get worried about this.' "Why? Is it something bad?" she asked before gasping, "did _it_ happen again?!"

"No! It's nothing like that! It's just that I can talk with my quirk." Inko relaxed immediately, not fully registering what he had said yet.

"Oh, thank god it's nothing bad! I was beginning to think-" then it hit her. " _Wait. WHAT._ "

"I can communicate with my quirk, and I lost track of time talking with – it? Them?" Izuku had never seen her mother speechless before. She was dazed with the revelation for a few seconds before she shook her head and focused back on her son.

"I-I think I'll sit down for this conversation."

* * *

She rubbed her temples. They were both sitting side by side in the couch. Izuku had spent the last half hour getting her to speed on his situation, and frankly, she was overwhelmed.

"Let me get this straight. Your quirk is not really a quirk, but the ability to control the things that make quirks work. Not only that, but you can talk to it and it wants to train you to become a hero."

"Yes, that's more or less it."

"And you don't want to tell anyone this because…?"

"Mom, I'm probably the only person in the world that has an ability that can't be classified as a quirk. I don't want to become a science experiment."

'Oh.' She sighed. "Ok then. I will only tell your father, but what about the training? Are you sure you want to do it? From what you've told me I can see it's very intensive."

"I want to at least try. I need to start somewhere if I want to become a hero in the future, and this seems like the best way to do it. Yes, it will be hard, but I think I can do it."

She sighed again. "Very well. I'll try to support you as best as I can, but I can't speak for your father. I don't know how he will react to this." A small, fond smile appeared on her face. "You do realize you will give me gray hair at this rate, right?"

At this he looked slightly sheepish. "I'm sorry mom."

She chuckled, and gave him a side hug, then messed with his hair. "I'm just messing with you. So, anything I should know about this training regime of yours?"

Izuku perked up. "Oh! Yes! Be right back!" He ran to his room and then back with two sheets of paper in his hand, and gave them to her, explaining: "This one is the diet, and this one is my daily schedule, training included!"

"Hmm, this diet seems really well suited for your age, and it's not that difficult to follow."

"They also said that the diet would change as I grew."

"Seems logic. After all, a four-year-old doesn't have the same diet as an adult." A sly smirk appeared on her face. "Say, Izuku. Could you ask it for a diet for me?"

"I mean, I could try, but I don't know. Why do you need it anyway?"

"To keep fit, of course." The mirth in her eyes betrayed her poker face.

"… Are you messing with me? You are, aren't you?" Inko couldn't help but let out a small laugh.

"Yes, I was, but hey, it could help, so why not?" she looked at the clock and realized that it was really late. "Well mister, we'll continue this conversation tomorrow, you need to go to bed."

"But it's Saturday! I don't have classes tomorrow! Why can't stay up more?" he whined, and Inko fixed him with a stern gaze.

"According to this schedule you just gave me, you will get up at 8:30 tomorrow. Are you telling me you are going to break your own planning even before you start it?"

Izuku muttered a "no", looking sideways and pouting.

"That's what I thought. Now go, brush your teeth, put on your pajamas and get in bed."

Inko looked over the schedule and diet while Izuku went to do what he was told, already thinking of a way to explain everything to Hisashi.

She would support her little bundle of joy in every way she could.

* * *

 **A/N: And another update comes through.**

 **So, now you can begin to see why he's going to be OP, and why giving him OFA would make him too strong. I mean, the dude is not only a genius and has the strongest (and vaguest – seriously, the force has so many uses) form of telekinesis there is, but he will know how to fight armed and unarmed. Basically, a one-man army. Give him OFA and you get a guy that's too strong to go against (a Saitama on a ton of steroids if you will). And now that I think of it, Izuku is basically a mix between Obi-Wan and Anakin, getting his cunning from the former and the raw power from the latter. #TheMoreYouKnow**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy. Leave a review, or don't, you have free will.**

 **P.S.: Angry Inko is** _ **SCARY.**_ **Trust me.**


	8. And So, The Training Begins

**I do not own anything except the plot and some OCs.**

* * *

"Speech" 'Thoughts'

" _Mental communication/phone/tv/letter/flashback/robot"_

* * *

 **Chapter 7: And So, The Training Begins**

" _Are you sure this is a good idea Inko?"_ _the worry was clear in her husband's voice. She sighed for what she felt was the umpteenth time._

" _You know how he is Hisashi. Once he gets something inside his head he won't leave it alone until he accomplishes it, love. He will do it alone if necessary. At least this way he will have support from us." Hisashi stayed quiet for a few moments, thinking her wife's points through. He knew she was right, but it was difficult to accept it, if only by sheer overwhelm after everything she had told him about Izuku's quirk and training plan._

 _In the end he only sighed. "Okay then. So, how do we do this? Does he need anything in particular?"_

" _Not really, the only thing he asked of me was to help him follow his diet and his schedule."_

" _That's it? He doesn't need anything else?" the surprise and skepticism mixed in his response._

" _Apparently his quirk can show him everything else. I didn't really understand how it worked by how he described it. I'll ask to go with him to his training spot tomorrow though. I need to make sure he will train in a safe environment."_

" _That will have to do for now. Thanks for keeping me in the loop honey."_

" _It's nothing dear. Anyway, it's best if we head to bed. It's getting late and I need to get up early to follow Izuku's schedule." At this Hisashi chuckled._

" _I can definitely say I'm glad I'm not there." A devilish grin spread in Inko's face._

" _Oh, don't you worry love, the schedule will be waiting for you when you return. In fact, you'll be the one going with him to compensate." A snort could be heard from the other side of the line._

" _You are a cruel one, love."_

" _I didn't know collecting debts was considered cruelty." They both chuckled at that._

" _Well, have a good night Inko."_

" _You too Hisashi."_

* * *

Inko was broken from her reverie when Izuku entered the kitchen. She had been making a breakfast that followed the diet while she thought back to her conversation with Hisashi. Her energetic "Good morning Izuku!" was only met with a mumbled response while a still half asleep Izuku sat down in one of the table chairs.

"So, are you ready to start your training?"

"I didn't think we would get up th-" a big yawn cut his sentence. "This early."

She put his breakfast in front of him and sat down in front of him. "Hey, you did the schedule, you should have expected it." Izuku only hummed at this. "Izuku, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just didn't sleep well last night 'cause of the excitement."

"Oh. Well, it will probably pass in a few minutes." Inko paused. "Izuku, mind if I go with you to your training place?"

"No, you can come if you want. I'm sure you'll like it."

"Okay, then let's finish so we can go."

* * *

They were standing at the start of the mountain trail. Inko was wondering why Izuku had stopped when he spoke.

"Mom, you need to know something. Anyone that's not me can't enter where I train without my help, they'll get lost if they try. The same goes about leaving the place, so please tell me if you want to get out. Don't just try to leave." That said he extended his hand.

"Sure Izuku." She grabbed her hand. "Let's go in."

"Ok." He closed his eyes and waited for the pull. When he felt it he started following, his mother in tow.

Inko noticed how he closed his eyes, and a few moments later he started pulling her through a small trail she hadn't noticed between the bushes. She was going to tell him to open his eyes, so he wouldn't crash into a tree or trip with a root, but she noticed how he didn't hesitate to take each step, and decided to keep her mouth shut.

After ten minutes or so, Inko started seeing sunlight ahead, so it didn't take her by surprise when Izuku said: "We are almost there."

When they reached the clearing her breath caught in her throat, and Izuku laughed.

"That was exactly my reaction yesterday."

"This place is… I don't think beautiful would do it justice," she said in awe.

"Yeah, I know. So, how do you like my training spot?" Izuku had a little grin in his face.

"I can't physically say I do not approve after seeing it." She returned the grin, before curiosity got the better of her. "How did you find this place?"

"My quirk guided me to it. It's a special place, as I said earlier. You can only enter if you know what to look, or more like _feel_ for."

"I understand." She really didn't. "And how are you going to train? Because the schedule mentioned a physical training, a mental one and a study session, but it didn't get into detail."

"Well, the study session is exactly what it sounds like, the mental training has to do with strengthening my quirk, and the physical one is basically learning martial arts and other fighting styles. I don't exactly know how the last two will work though. My quirk didn't tell me." Inko lifted an eyebrow, unimpressed.

"Don't let me keep you waiting then, get to it. I'll sit somewhere."

"Ok!" He turned around, ran to the tree stump and sat on it, while she sat down in one of the borders of the clearing. The grass was still wet from the morning dew, but she had the foresight to bring a blanket to lay down. 'Let's see how this goes.'

* * *

" _Good morning Izuku. Ready to start your training?"_

" _Good morning, Sensei. Yes, I'm ready,"_ was his eager reply.

" _Very well. We take it you have already decided on which martial art you want to focus on first. Mind informing us of your selection?"_

" _Well, it's not exactly a martial art, but I was thinking Krav Maga would be a good choice."_

Izuku felt the equivalent of a hum coming from the midi-chlorians. _"Interesting choice. Why did you choose this combat style, if you don't mind us asking?"_

" _Well, for starters, the style is focused on actual combat, which would benefit me in any type of situation I may encounter in my future as a hero. It has also been adapted to deal with quirks through the years. And that is another reason. The fact that it's still used in various military forces, even though it's been more than a hundred and fifty years since it was invented, means its effectiveness and reliability are quite high, even more so when quirks are considered. It is also a combat style made with techniques from various martial arts, which would give me solid grasp of the basics of the different martial arts that conform it, and a good foundation to build upon with even more techniques and movements that I should obtain in the future, either from other combat styles or by creating them myself."_ The response seemed to surprise his Sensei, but they recovered quickly.

" _Very good reasoning Izuku. Well then, let's begin with the training. The first thing you need to know is the purpose of this combat style, what you intend to accomplish by using it in a fight. In this case, what you're looking for is effectiveness during combat, which translates to using everything at your disposal. Take-downs, throws, chokes, holds, ground work and strikes will be used, as long as they can gain you any type of advantage during combat. There is also a component of ruthlessness involved, given that the fastest way of disabling an enemy will often involve targeting their weak points, be it joints, like elbows or knees, organs like eyes or liver, or other body parts, like the face, neck, feet and fingers, ribs or groin."_ At this Izuku winced. _"Remember, you are looking for the fastest and most efficient way to end a fight. That's the mentality you'll need if you don't want to die during your time as a hero, at least during fights."_

" _Understood, Sensei. So, how do we do this?"_

" _We will show you what you are to do by giving you an example, and when you perform anything, you'll be able to feel what you're doing wrong."_

Izuku couldn't help but let out a confused _"Huh?"_

" _You'll understand better with an example. Get up and into this position."_ An image appeared in Izuku's mind. Immediately, he got up and tried his best to mimic it. Suddenly, a feeling of wrongness started emanating from his feet.

" _What's that feeling?"_

" _That means that your feet are not correctly placed. Pay close attention to the example."_ Izuku did, and saw he had his feet squared instead of one slightly in front of the other. As fast as it had appeared, the strange feeling disappeared when he corrected his posture, and he realized why he didn't need that much physical training time. He would be able to adopt the movements fast, and most importantly, execute them perfectly, thanks to this training method. From there it would only be a matter of practice.

" _This is awesome!"_

" _Now you can see why it won't take you that much time to learn, can't you?"_ His Sensei seemed smug, but Izuku didn't care.

" _Yeah, I can learn the movements quickly like this!"_

" _Let's start with the basics then. This is the basic posture. You'll use it to…"_

* * *

Inko was intrigued. She was sitting, gazing around the clearing when Izuku got up. She had thought it strange when he had sat down, thinking he was going to train his body. Then a possible reason for his behavior popped up in her head.

" _Maybe he needs to be calm to connect with his quirk."_

That seemed to be the case, because as soon as he got up he adopted what looked like a combat stance. Suddenly, he scrunched his face in discomfort, and she got worried. Getting ready to intervene if necessary, she then calmed down when he shifted his feet and relaxed his expression, before forming a beaming smile.

" _Seems like there was nothing wrong after all."_

From them on the pattern repeated, Izuku changing his form while practicing different moves. She noticed that every time, he would scrunch his face, and then adjust on it until he got what she supposed to be the perfect form for each move.

" _I'll have to ask him about it, now I'm curious."_

After an hour or so, Izuku stopped practicing and sat down on the tree stump again, crossing his legs.

" _Is he… meditating?"_ Inko wondered.

* * *

" _Izuku, it's time to start with the second part of the training. Stop and sit down."_

" _Ok, Sensei."_

" _These first sessions will be somewhat special. Normally we would teach you for one hour and train you in the ways of the force for another, but we think establishing your connection with the force takes priority, so for this session and the next ones we will focus on that. You need to learn as soon as possible so you can communicate with us at any moment. It will also make communing with the force easier."_

Izuku, predicting where this was going, asked: _"I'm guessing I'm gonna have to meditate, am I not?"_

" _Yes, but you need to meditate in a certain way to maximize your union with the force. You can either empty your mind of everything to serve as a conduit for the force, or you can use your emotions as focal points to draw the force in. The first one is safer than the second one, but it doesn't as much insight of yourself."_ Izuku's puzzlement could be felt from a mile away.

" _I don't understand. How can be dangerous the second way? It doesn't make sense."_

" _Actually, it does. The force enhances everything about you. Your physical strength, your senses, your thought processes, and -"_ and then he understood.

" _My emotions."_

" _Exactly. That makes them difficult to control, especially those that are mostly driven by passion."_

" _So, love would be one of those, right?"_

" _Yes. So would its counterpart, hate. Think about it this way. Normally, before you love or hate someone, you need to either like or dislike them. When you lose control during meditation, this separation disappears. You either love or hate everything and everyone, which becomes a problem because while it's difficult to love someone from the beginning, you just need one slip from the other party to hate them. Even if you love someone you end in the same slippery slope. And that's not the end of it, no. The same way love brings happiness, loyalty and brightness, hate brings anger, pain and despair. These emotions act as black holes, devouring the rest of them until only they remain."_ The ominous tone used made Izuku cringe.

" _Then there are no advantages using that meditation technique!"_

" _Yes, there are. Keeping your emotions under your control helps you understand your feelings at any moment, which means nothing will be able to shake you if you don't let it. Imagine being in a life or death situation: you will be able to keep calm and analyze your options instead of despairing. You will be completely immune to any kind of emotional attack."_

" _I still don't think it's worth it risking it."_

" _Are you worried about losing control?"_

" _Yes,"_ he mumbled.

" _Don't be then. We only made emphasis so you understood the risks. We truly believe you can do it, but it's still your decision, so you are free to choose the other method if you really don't want to do it."_

"… _I'll try that way then."_

" _Close your eyes, it will help you calm down." When he did, they continued with the instructions. "You need to find every emotion you are feeling right now. When you have done that, you need to dive into them, understand why you are feeling them, and let them wash over you."_

Izuku did exactly that, searching inside himself. As he was completing the task he noticed two things: as he was working through his emotions, he grew more and more focused, but more importantly, he felt them compact within him in a small sphere, which expanded slightly with every emotion added. With his now improved focus, he began to notice the force pooling around the sphere, as if being pulled into a gravity well, swirling around him. He also noticed how everything improved: his senses heightened, his thoughts cleared, and his body relaxed. He began to feel the force beyond himself, how it clung to other living beings, and the enormous power that it carried. Then:

" _Izuku, wait until we tell you to open your eyes. The two hours have passed."_ Izuku would have been surprised, but after focusing in his emotions for that long, he was able to quickly find the surprise he felt and tone it down.

" _Already?"_

" _Yes. This deep connection will be difficult to maintain at first. Try to keep it open for as long as you can after you go home. Don't be discouraged if you don't manage it – it's not easy to do so. We'll meet again tomorrow. You can open your eyes."_

Izuku opened his eyes, and quickly noticed that deep connection with the force start to fade. Keeping most of his focus on trying to keep it going, he went to wake up his mother, who seemed to have fallen asleep under the tree.

* * *

Inko woke up when she felt something tap her shoulder.

" _Did I fall asleep?"_ she wondered.

"… Mum, grab my hand and let's go home."

"Are you already finished?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

"… Yes, it's already been two hours."

"Really!?" She couldn't help it.

"… Yes." She finally noticed his strained tone, and she began to worry.

"Are you okay Izuku?"

"… Just concentrating on something." While that didn't completely appease her, it helped her calm down a bit.

"… Okay then. Let's go home."

* * *

Izuku was able to maintain the connection just until halfway home before he lost it.

"Man, that's hard."

"What's so difficult, dear?"

"Just an assignment I had."

"I see." She didn't. "Oh, before I forget. While you were doing the combat moves you seemed uncomfortable many times. Was something wrong?"

"No, mum, it wasn't anything like that. It's just that when I did a movement or stance wrong the body parts that were not correctly positioned would feel wrong, so then I would correct their position." Inko's eyes bulged.

"WHAT!?"

Izuku blinked owlishly at her outburst at first, and then processed what he had said. "Nonono, you misunderstood mum! I didn't feel any pain or anything like that. It just felt… wrong? I don't know how to explain it, but I wasn't in any kind of pain, you can be sure of that."

Inko sighed, muttering "thank god".

From then until they arrived home they continued talking about his training, both knowing that one day it may very well save his life, and the life of those around him.

* * *

 _Izuku kept training the same way for a few weeks, until he finally mastered the basic form of meditation. From then on, he only went to the clearing to practice his combat skills, while doing the other two parts of the training at home. This cycle would not change for quite some time._

* * *

 **A/N: Whew, I'm finally back (again -.-').**

 **So. Since the last chapter quite a few things have happened, but by far the most important has been my moving to literally another continent. I'm not going to explain too much because the reasons are personal, but let's just say that it was an opportunity my family and I couldn't pass up.**

 **I would promise to be more consistent with updates, but I honestly can't. I have too much shit going on right now to commit myself to this. Still, don't fret, I'm not planning to abandon this story anytime soon. I'm too invested in the premise to leave it to dry.**

 **I also want to shout-out the user WavesBlade in both Fanfiction and AO3, and more specifically, his/her story "Unite Descent: A Siri Tachi Tale". I based my idea of meditation in the one Waves used in it, but even if I hadn't I still would have done this shout-out. I don't even know how I came across this story, but it has quickly become one of my favourite ones in the site. The premise is simple: Siri Tachi falls to the dark side and Sidious trains her. Waves does a tremendously good job with the story, and the way he portrays Sidious and the Sith in general is masterful. The story is dark (as it should be), but very thrilling. Seriously, if you like Star Wars, give it a read. It won't let you down. And if you do give it a read, keep in mind the story follows the Legends continuity (Siri's character doesn't exist in canon, apparently), so if you need context, search the Legends section of the Wookiepedia.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoy.**


	9. A Fated Encounter

**I do not own anything except the plot and some OCs.**

"Speech" 'Thoughts'

" _Mental communication/phone/tv/letter/flashback/robot"_

* * *

 **Chapter 8: A Fated Encounter**

 **Six years later, September 23** **rd** **:**

Izuku exited the clearing in a thoughtful mood. He had finished stretching a few minutes prior after an intense training session, and he couldn't help but reflect how everything had changed so drastically in the six years since he had started training. He now had finished the first stage of his physical training, mastering Krav Maga, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Sambo, Wing Chun, Muay Thai, Taekwondo and Aikido. He still did exercises to keep his hand to hand combat skills sharp and was thinking of learning a few more martial arts in the future, but now the focus of his training was building a good physique which could benefit him in combat. To that end, his exercises were now focused on improving his cardio, which would help him when weight training was added in a year or so.

His mental training had also progressed at a good pace. He had mastered most of the control and sense abilities the Force gave him1, and had started to delve into telekinesis more thoroughly, given that it was the first alter ability that he had been able to use. His meditation sessions had also helped him. He was now completely in tune with the Force at almost any moment, including while he was asleep. He also had a better grasp on his emotions, and while not perfect, it helped him stay calm in most situations. The most noticeable effect of this control was his lack of muttering, a trait he had lost a few years ago thank to his better control, and which robbed possible bullies of another weak point, not that there were any in his new school.

That was a change he honestly hadn't seen coming. His father had been promoted to a higher paying position inside his company, and while he had to travel more during certain periods of the year, outside of them he could work from home, which gave him more time with his family. That increase in income had also been put to good use. They decided to move to a brand-new house, or at least that had been the intention until Inko fell in love with a beautiful traditional Japanese house that had been abandoned and she had found by accident. It was located on the opposite side of the mountain to their apartment, inside a beautiful patch of forest inside the plot of land, which was in the suburbs of Mustafu. Inside said plot there was also a small lake located beside the building.

Given that the building was abandoned and the land completely uncared for they were able to buy it at a really low price, which gave them a huge budget for remodeling. The house exterior and interior were fully refurbished, and while the traditional style was maintained in general, with tatami mats and sliding doors, modern commodities were installed, like electricity, high speed internet, cable and phone service, a full kitchen and bathrooms. The house was expanded to the side opposite of the lake too, creating enough space to build an indoor Zen garden and an onsen inspired pool with an artificial rock waterfall that fed it. The whole plot was cleared of debris accumulated with the passage of time, the lake and creeks that fed and were fed by it cleaned, and the forest trimmed.

His parents timed the moving just after he finished Kindergarten; that way the change of school would be as natural as possible. Given that the house was located in another part of the town the switch was inevitable. They had played with the idea of enrolling him in a private school, but he had quickly shot them down with a simple notion – he was going to school not to learn, but to socialize. The learning he did on his own, and it wouldn't make sense to spend money to meet people, so in the end he wound up in the corresponding school for his area. He was immediately accepted by his classmates, and there was a regular interaction between them and him but given his intelligence and level of maturity he didn't really form deep friendships with them. For that reason, he focused his energy in his training and his three hobbies.

The first one was analyzing quirks. Given his new understanding on how they worked gave him the ability to more accurately predict their power, uses and limits, from which the role of the user in a specific situation could be inferred easily. All of this was compiled in notebooks until his last birthday, when his parents gifted him with a 2 in 1 laptop and he transferred all his notes into a digital format. He now carried his laptop with him almost anywhere so he could keep taking notes.

The second one was cooking. One day he had approached his mother and asked for cooking lessons. Inko, obviously excited with the prospect of spending more time with her son, immediately accepted. Since then, they established a routine, both of them cooking dinner together almost every night. The last one was playing the guitar. His parents bought him a guitar when they still lived at the apartment after they noticed he was listening to music regularly and asked him if he wanted to play an instrument. He had been playing it since then, and though he had two newer guitars now, he still kept his first one.

He was broken out of his reverie by a shouted "MOM! DAD!" It took him half a second to identify the desperation laced in it and then he was gone, racing towards the voice, which he now recognized as a girl's voice. He sprinted for half a minute before arriving to a small creek, and after looking frantically all around him and not seeing anyone, he decided to wait for the next shout. When it came, he noticed that he was closer, but it was coming from the other side of the creek, so he backed up and then sprinted towards the edge before jumping towards the other side. He barely made it to the other side, but his brain ignored that in favor of focusing on the terrain he was going through on his renewed sprint. The next shout was really close to him, so with strength he didn't know he had, he sped up towards a trail that was now visible through the foliage.

A scream of fright came from his left just as he jumped into the trail in a fighting stance, ready to defend himself and whoever was shouting. That stance wavered and fell in less than a second however, when he noticed that the only one else beside him in the area was a girl sitting in the ground just in front of him. It took his brain a moment to realize that it was probably the girl the one who had screamed, and that his sudden appearance was the reason she was now in the ground. With some adrenaline still coursing through his veins, he slowly approached the girl, intent on not startling her. He was about to ask her if she was okay when she looked up and their eyes met.

The only thought going through Izuku's head at that moment was 'those are the most gorgeous eyes I've ever seen'. Unbeknownst to him, a similar thought was going through the girl's head. After a small eternity he finally snapped out of it and approached her before offering her a hand. She grabbed it and he helped her get up while thanking his Sensei in his mind for the control he now held over his emotions. He was sure that without it he would now be a blubbering mess just by the feel of her soft skin which, if she needed help like he thought she did, it would be bad. An amused _"You're welcome, child. Also, remember to use your abilities next time."_ startled him mentally. He had forgotten about his abilities in the hurry, which now that he thought about it would have helped him find her quicker, especially with how strong his connection with the Force was. Suddenly realizing he had been holding her hand during his internal monologue, he released her and introduced himself, lest she think he wanted to cause her harm.

"Hi, I'm Midoriya Izuku. I heard you shout, so I came to see what was happening. Are you hurt? Do you need help?" Her beautiful onyx eyes, which had shifted to his hand when he offered it, focused again on his own, and he noticed for the first time the moisture in her eyes, which had not yet shifted into tears, and the anguish she was projecting. She rubbed her eyes, and he saw her lower lip quiver for a moment before she answered "H-hi, my name is Yaoyorozu Momo. I came here to celebrate my birthday with my parents, but I ran away in front of them because I-I was really excited to explore the mountain, and somehow we got separated, and now I can't find them!" By the end she had moisture in her eyes again, and was about to start crying, so Izuku did the only thing he could think of. He hugged her.

"Yaoyorozu-san, please calm down. I am here, and I will help you, okay?" That seemed to do the trick. The stiffness in her shoulders slowly disappeared, and she hugged him back for a few moments, letting his embrace calm her down. Just before letting go of him she whispered in his ear "Momo", to which he could only answer with a questioning gaze. "Please call me Momo," she answered to his unasked question. His eyes lit up and a beaming smile formed in his face, before he told her "Only if you call me Izuku." With a small blush and a shy smile in her face, she nodded.

Suddenly his face turned serious again. "So, how do we find your parents? I'm assuming you don't have a phone, right?" She nodded again. "Do you know their phone numbers?" Another nod. "Ok, tell me what you think about this. I live less than ten minutes away from the mountain, so we can go to my home and use the phone there to call your parents so they can come pick you up. Sounds good?" She thought for a few moments before nodding once again. Izuku beamed again before he started walking in the opposite direction she came from. After a few steps he noticed she wasn't following, so he turned around and said, "What are you waiting for, let's go!" Then he turned around again. She hesitated for a moment and started following him.

"Uhm, Midoriya-sa-," he turned around with a pointed gaze at her. "R-right. I-Izuku, how do you know this is the way to your home?"

"Oh, I've been inside this mountain at least two times a week since I was around four and a half. At this point I basically know it like the back of my hand." That piqued Momo's curiosity, and she had to ask, "And why have you spent so much time here?" He turned to face her and started walking sideways. "I've been training to be a hero. I've always liked helping people, and what better way to do that than being a pro hero?" Her eyes started sparkling as soon as he mentioned being a hero. "Really? I want to be a hero too!" Izuku smiled. "Cool! We could be a duo when we grow up! What is your quirk?"

This stopped Momo short. "Well, I, um, it's a pretty complicated quirk, it's hard to understand." Izuku simply smiled confidently. "Come on, try me. I might surprise you." Momo hesitated. She had been ostracized in school for being more intelligent than the rest. 'What's the worst that could happen? I barely know him, so I won't lose anything if I tell him. I could even gain a new friend!' Her decision made, she proceeded to tell him about her quirk.

"My quirk is called Creation. I can make anything apart from living beings from the fat in my body. I just need to understand the molecular structure of what I'm trying to make. To recover the fat I lose while creating things I need to eat foot with a lot of fat." Even though she had decided to tell him, she braced herself for the possible negative reaction. Understandably, his reaction basically floored her.

"Momo, your quirk is freaking awesome!" She looked towards him with her jaw hanging open, but he didn't notice with how focused he was on her quirk. "That has to be the most versatile quirk that has ever existed. You can literally create _anything_ as long as you know the molecular composition of the object!" That stopped him short, and he whirled around towards Momo. "Wait a minute, does that mean you have to remember the exact position of each atom for each object you can create?" She nodded dumbly for a second before she answered. "Uh, yes, that's basically how it works." It was Izuku the one stunned this time.

'To be able to remember and generate all the objects she can create she needs and impressive processing power. I wonder…' "Momo, are you a genius?" Her face fell. 'Here we go.' "Yes, I am." Izuku noticed how her mood changed. "Momo, why are you sad?" "Because you'll leave me alone. It's what all the others have done after they discover my secret." Izuku felt bad for her and rage towards everyone who caused her to feel that way. He knew how it felt to be ostracized.

"You don't have to worry about me leaving you Momo. In fact, that's another thing we have in common. I'm a genius too." She looked up to him with hope in her eyes. "Are you serious?" "Yup, 100% serious. Can I ask you another question about your quirk?" A small smile appeared in her face. "Sure." "When you create something, do you go layer by layer or everything at the same time?" She made a pensive face. "I had never thought about it, to be honest, but I go layer by layer. Why do you ask?" "Wouldn't it be faster to do it all at once?" That made her train of thought stop short. 'No way… could it really be that simple?' She hadn't even noticed she had stopped walking, and Izuku stopped too, shooting her a worried gaze. "Uh, Momo, are you ok?" Her head snapped towards him when he called her. "Yes, I think so. Let me try something really quick."

She focused on the Matryoshka doll molecular structure, and tried to create it, but this time she did a conscious effort to do everything at the same time. The result seemed magical. One moment she had nothing in her hand, the next a full Matryoshka doll was in it. With the shock of what she had achieved she didn't realize she had started crying. "Momo, you're crying!" The wetness in her face finally registered with Izuku's proclamation, and she cleared her face with her hands before stepping towards him and engulfing him in a tight hug while repeatedly saying "Thank you!"

Izuku hesitated for a second before cautiously starting to return the hug. "You're welcome, but uh, why exactly are you thanking me?" Her reaction puzzled him. He was fairly sure he had helped her somehow; he could feel her elation and – frustration? The only thing he had really done was point out a minor detail he had only noticed in passing and made him curious, however. She separated from him and started to explain. "I've been trying to improve my creation speed for a really long time. It's something I've struggled a lot with, so the fact that just with a small change in my approach to create something that problem completely disappears is at the same time frustrating, because it's something I should have noticed myself, and relieving."

They started walking again, each of them thinking about what had been just discovered.

"So," opened Izuku, "when you said you can create anything apart from life, does that include things like electronics and composite materials? Oh! Can you create crystals?" Her brow furrowed for a moment while she thought the answer, and Izuku couldn't help but think she looked cute like that. 'Wait, where did that thought come from?' He was distracted from his thoughts by her answer. "I've never tried, but theoretically I should be able to do so." Then she got excited. "Oh! I see where you're coming from! Using them could increase the versatility of my creations even more!" "Exactly!" he answered with a smile. They got quiet after that, each of them thinking about all the possibilities the two revelations could mean for the creation user.

Suddenly the sound of vehicles startled her, and she noticed they had left the mountain and now were walking down a street. She was about to ask where they were, but Izuku cut her off before she could start by exclaiming "We're here!" She looked to the side and saw the plaque in the wall that indicated that this was in fact the Midoriya household. They entered through the wooden doors that closed the complex, and Momo could only gape at the inside – for it looked like they were back on the mountain. They followed the trail through the small forest inside the property until they reached the clearing that held the lake and the house, and Momo was completely stunned.

Now, being brought up in a wealthy upbringing, she was used to beautiful sights, having travelled a lot with her parents since she was young. Still, nothing could have prepared her for the movie scene that she had stepped into. Never in her life had she been anywhere that emanated such a sense of peace. She tried to speak, but the only thing that came out of her mouth was a whispered _"wow."_ Izuku had to agree with her reaction. He still got overwhelmed by the beauty of the place sometimes, and he had been living here for five years. He snapped Momo out of her reverie by taking her hand and guiding her towards the house.

He opened the front door and entered, taking of his shoes while saying, "Mom, I'm home!". Momo was in the process of doing the same when a small and slim woman appeared in front of them, and Momo noticed how similar Izuku and her mother were. Except for the freckles that he had and his lighter shade of hair, the rest of their faces were eerily similar, even though his face still had an air of masculinity that his mother's face lacked. She was broken out of her musings when his mother started to talk.

"Welcome back Izuku. Who is your friend?" then she turned towards Momo and offered her a smile. "Hi, I'm Midoriya Inko, Izuku's mom." Izuku cut straight into the chase. "Mom, this is Yaoyorozu Momo. I found her in the mountain. She got lost and couldn't find his parents, but she knows their phones, so I brought her here so she could call them with ours." Inko paled when she heard this. "Oh dear," she immediately pulled out her phone and gave it to Momo. "Here you go, call them. I'm sure they are really worried; I know I would be if Izuku disappeared."

While Momo called her parents, Inko took his son aside and asked him, "How did this happen?" Izuku explained how he had just finished training when he had heard her shouts and had gone to investigate, and how he had found her alone and lost. "And all of this during her birthday, too." She perked up at this. "Her birthday is today? How do you know?" "She mentioned it when I asked her how she had gotten lost."

Inko was pensive for a moment before she told Izuku, "I'm going to invite her and her parents to stay for dinner. It's getting late, and that way you can celebrate her birthday with her. Would you like that?" Izuku beamed and nodded vigorously, while she snickered at his obvious enthusiasm. At that moment, Momo approached them to ask for the street address, and Inko took her phone back while saying, "Don't worry about it, I'll tell your parents. Go play with Izuku, okay?" Momo nodded and followed Izuku towards his room while his mother started talking with her parents.

The first thing she noticed when she entered her friends' room was the cleanliness. It was well organized, and still you could tell someone lived in it. There were two bookshelves that went from floor to ceiling, completely full of books, a desk with a laptop on top, a bed and a walk-in wardrobe. Hanging on the chestnut walls were some posters of certain pro-heroes, All Might being the most prominent in them, and surprisingly enough, old musical bands and musicians. Yet, the most impressive part of the room were the three guitars hanging in the middle of one of the walls, two acoustics flanking a gorgeous white electric. Izuku, noticing her fixation, went and picked it up before bringing it back and silently offering her the guitar.

As soon as she noticed she started waving her hands and shaking her head saying, "No, I couldn't possibly – I don't even know how to play the guitar, I was just admiring it!" He ignored her with a small smile, and simply said, "it's not going to bite," before putting the guitar in her hands. She slowly sat on the bed, cradling the guitar in her arms as she would a baby, before she started turning it slowly, taking all the details in, of which the most glaring was the absence of a brand. She asked Izuku about it while she admired the beautiful white finish in the instrument, but immediately turned towards him when he let out a small chuckle. Confused and embarrassed about committing a possible faux pass, she was about to apologize when he started talking.

"You're actually the first one to spot it. The reason there is no brand on it is because it's a limited edition, the only one ever built." Momo was astonished. 'This thing must have cost a fortune!' Apparently, Izuku could read her face, because he promptly started laughing uproariously.

"Your face Momo! That expression was priceless!" He continued laughing and while she pouted at first, she couldn't keep from laughing with him after a few moments. When they calmed down Izuku decided to explain. "While it's true that is one of a kind, it wasn't that expensive. After all, my father and I built it this summer, and my mother was the one who did the finish." And just like that she was left stunned again.

"So, want me to play you something?" The offer caught her by surprise, but she quickly accepted. After getting everything ready he started playing, and she was promptly disappointed when it was the Smoke on the Water riff on loop. After a full five minutes of hearing the riff she couldn't take it anymore. "Izuku, I swear to every deity that might be out there, if you don't stop right now, I will end you." Instead of being cowed however, he simply smirked. "You endured more than I thought you would. I am impressed." Then he immediately started playing Hot for Teacher, completely startling her with the sudden shift. He kept playing for almost fifteen minutes nonstop, jumping from riff to riff and song to song with his own transitions and mixing different styles of music.

When the last note stopped ringing, everything was quiet for a moment, before Momo started clapping, increasing her tempo gradually to the point where her hands were almost blurring. Izuku set the guitar on his bed before standing up and, with a goofy grin in his face, playfully bowing various times, which induced her to giggle while she kept clapping. Their giggles ended up devolving into chuckles, and they both ended strewn about the floor laughing. They calmed down after a few minutes, time that she also used to think about how good he was with a guitar. "Izu, that was incredible! You could be a Rockstar if you wanted!" She turned her head towards him and saw him blushing. 'Huh, why is he blushing?' She started replaying what she had said and noticed the nickname she had accidentally given him, which made her blush in turn.

"I'm so sorry, Izuku! It was an acciden-" she was silenced by his finger over on her lips. The feel of his finger over her mouth made her blush even worse, but she was still able to pay attention to what he had to say. His wondrous jade eyes were focusing on her, as if they were peering into her soul, and he didn't hesitate while saying, "You caught me by surprise with the nickname, but I truly like it. You can call me that if you want." She looked down before focusing on his eyes again, this time with a shy smile plastered on her face. "I'd enjoy that. Thanks, Izu." His only response was a soft smile.

In that moment there was a knock in the sliding door followed by, "Momo! Your parents are here!" Next thing Izuku knew was him practically flying down the stairs pulled by Momo. They reached the entrance in record time, where a couple had just finished taking off their shoes. Hearing the commotion, they turned around just in time to witness their daughter stop just a few steps away from them, still holding Izuku's hand. They both blinked, and Mrs. Yaoyorozu couldn't help but tease her daughter. With a sly smile she said, "My, my, Momo, barely an hour away from us and you've already procured yourself a boyfriend. You sure move fast." Her husband and her along with Inko, who had arrived just in time to hear Mrs. Yaoyorozu's proclamation, started laughing while their children did the best impression of a tomato they had ever seen. They all noticed however, how both children hesitated before letting go of each other's hand, which triggered their interest.

Saving the information for later, Inko approached their guests and started the introductions. "Hello, I'm Midoriya Inko and this is my son Izuku. Welcome to our home." Mr. Yaoyorozu promptly responded. "Thank you for your welcome, Midoriya-san. I'm Yaoyorozu Yūtarō, but please just call me Yūtarō. Being called Yaoyorozu makes me feel like my dad. Anyway, this is my wife, Kaori, and I think you already are acquainted with our daughter, Momo." A sly smile appeared on Inko's face. "If you call me Inko then we have a deal. And yes, she has been a delight." Mrs. Yaoyorozu beamed at the compliment directed towards her daughter before saying, "If you're going to use our given names then please call me Kaori."

Inko then proceeded to invite them in, which confused Momo. "Wait. Aren't we going home?" Kaori turned around to look at her daughter before she started explaining. "Well, Midoriya-" a shiver ran down her spine and she felt a death glare hitting the back of her skull. She didn't need to turn around to know who was doing it. " _Right_. Inko-san" another shiver and she hastily corrected herself again. " _Inko_ invited us to stay for dinner. That way you can celebrate your birthday with your new friend." Momo's eyes widened before a huge smile grew on her face and she proceeded to hug her mother while repeatedly thanking her. Kaori chuckled and said, "The ones you should be thanking are Izuku and her mother. They are the masterminds behind the plan after all." Once she heard that, Momo repeated her actions with Inko first and then with Izuku.

All of a sudden, a man opened the front door, and almost instantly Izuku was hugging him tightly while saying, "Dad! You're back early!". The first thought that ran through the three guests' minds was 'Does he have a teleportation quirk?', while his mother and father simply chuckled at his enthusiasm, his father also returning his hug. "Hey little guy," Hisashi greeted him, which in turn made Izuku whine, " _Dad,_ I'm not a little child anymore," to which his father snorted and with a smirk in his face he answered, "then why are you whining like one?". Izuku pouted while everyone else started laughing at the impromptu father-son spectacle they were doing, including Hisashi, who proceeded to mess up his son's hair while saying, "I'm just messing with you, son," before he went to introduce himself to their guests.

After greeting his wife and introducing himself, the kids were sent up again to play and the adults socialized in the living room while waiting for the food to be ready. Once they were back in Izuku's room Momo couldn't contain his curiosity anymore and had to ask. "Izuku, is your quirk some kind of teleportation?" The question made Izuku freeze for a moment, and she noticed. He turned towards her and was about to start talking, but she cut her off. "I'm sorry, I was just curious about how fast you moved when you greeted your father. It's alright if you don't want to talk about it." Still, he could almost feel how she deflated at the thought of him not trusting her and was quick to reassure her. "No, it's nothing like that Momo! I'd love to tell you! Just, um, please don't tell anybody about this? I could get in trouble if it came out." Momo was worried about what he was about to tell her, but her curiosity won in the end and decided to accept. "Okay, I won't tell anyone." Izuku offered her his pinky. "Pinky promise?" Momo giggled before she accepted the finger and affirmed, "Pinky promise."

Izuku proceeded to tell her everything, and by the end her head was spinning with all the new information. "Wow, that's a lot to take in." He rubbed his head sheepishly. "Yeah." They were quiet for a while, Momo assimilating it all and Izuku giving her time to do so. He was sure she would have questions, but the first one she posed caught him by surprise. "Wait, is your quirk still registered as a variation of your mother's? Wouldn't that be suspicious when you use your full power?" His eyes widened, realizing she was speaking the truth. "You're right, I have to change that. The problem is, how do I update it without giving away all my capabilities?" They both went quiet for a short while, trying to find a solution, until Momo broke the silence once again.

"How about you register it as a strong type of telekinesis? From what you told me, most of your abilities are impossible to detect for the rest of us, and you could make the case they are related to telekinesis if someone were to ask, and it's also related to your mother's quirk." Izuku beamed before giving her a quick hug, which made her blush, and then gripping her by the shoulders gingerly. "That's brilliant, Mo! It's perfect!" He then realized what he had just called her and blushed _hard_. At this point they both were beet red in the face, but instead of apologizing he simply asked, "Is it alright if I call you that?". She nodded once, looking anywhere but his face.

It was then when Hisashi opened the door and said, "come on kids, let's go down. Dinner is ready." The three of them went to the dining room, where a surprise awaited Momo. As soon as the door opened the mouthwatering smell of freshly made hamburgers assaulted their nostrils, and neither Izuku nor Momo could contain a loud gulp. They made their way to the table, where the rest minus Hisashi were sitting down, and found that in front of each seat was a hamburger that looked to have come straight out of an ad. They both took their seats, which were side by side, and waited for the adults. Inko noticed this and with a smile she said, "what are you waiting for? Go ahead, before it gets cold!"

Both kids immediately dug in, and Momo couldn't contain a loud moan when she tasted the first bite. Izuku, having grown up with the divine blessing that was his mother's cooking, fared a little better, but he noticed that she had gone all out for this meal, if that was even possible. Yūtarō and Kaori both glared at Momo, expecting better of her daughter after being taught etiquette for a good chunk of her life, but she was in cloud nine and completely ignored them. The Midoriya family noticed it, and all three of them had to chuckle good-naturedly when both parents had the exact same reaction as their daughter when they started eating.

After a few minutes that were filled just by munching sounds and an occasional low moan of pleasure, Kaori stated, "My goodness Inko, this is delicious! You should have your own restaurant! We can fund you if you want! Imagine it, with cooking like this you could make a killing!" Inko answered with a smirk, "Oh believe me I know." Knowing he had her confused guests right where she wanted them, she dropped the bomb. "I already got one. You know that two Michelin star restaurant in Tokyo? M.I.C? The acronym stands for 'Midoriya Inko's Cookery'." The Midoriyas laughed uproariously at the astonished faces of the Yaoyorozus, and Inko said between wheezing laughs, "That reaction never gets old!"

When the laughter subsided Inko started to explain. "I wanted to be a chef ever since I was little, so when I had the opportunity I got enrolled in culinary school. Hisashi and I got married when I was a roughly a year and a half away from the end, and by the time I was finished I was pregnant with Izuku. So, I put my plans of opening a restaurant on hold and stayed at home for around five and a half years taking care of him and the household. By that time Hisashi had already been promoted and worked most of the time from home, and the house renovation was finally complete, thus I finally decided to open M.I.C. The first two and a half to three years were a complete hell getting everything set up and starting to climb the Japanese rankings. For most of the time during those first years I basically lived in the restaurant, and I was barely able to see Hisashi or Izuku more than once or twice a week. But the effort paid off in the end, and the restaurant started making profit before long. The Michelin stars were a blessing, because they put the establishment in the map, and suddenly the place was trending. By that point I was able to let my second in command take control of the cooking in most cases, and now I just take care of managing the finances and cooking when important VIPs come to eat. Make no mistake, we're still working towards getting the third Michelin star, but now I can take it more leisurely."

The first one to speak was Kaori, looking with new eyes towards Inko. "That's, _wow_ , I honestly didn't expect that I would meet the head chef of my favorite restaurant this way," to which Inko responded, "Life works in mysterious ways, doesn't it? And thank _you_ for considering my restaurant your favorite. It's always pleasant when people show gratitude towards your work." After that the conversation flowed easily between both sets of parents, while their kids talked between themselves, sometimes chiming in the adults' conversation when they heard something that spiked their interest. Dinner continued underway for a while longer, and when time came to clear the table Inko had to stop the guests from helping.

During dinner the subject of the Yaoyorozu fortune had come up while talking about work, and while it had initially taken the Midoriyas by surprise, the friendly down-to-earth attitude of the Yaoyorozus quickly dissipated all the reservations that had formed in Inko and Hisashi's minds after learning that tidbit of information. They had learned that they lived just a quarter hour away from them, in a wealthy residential area, and they had given the Midoriyas their direction, along with an invitation to visit whenever they wanted. Inko and Hisashi had offered the same in return, and when Kaori mentioned her interest about the house Inko promised to give them a tour after dinner. Momo had also thanked her for making her favorite dish, and when she asked how she had known, Inko revealed that her mother had told her when they were talking on the phone planning everything.

Izuku returned to the dining room with the assigned mission to distract Momo while his mother finished giving the final touches to the strawberry cheesecake she had made for her. Once Izuku had successfully distracted Momo, Hisashi approached Yūtarō and Kaori and whispered to them to get behind both kids so he could film everything. Both parents nodded and discretely got behind them, while Hisashi pulled out his phone inconspicuously and opened the camera and approached the light switch to turn the lights off. When he saw that his wife was about to enter the room, he flicked the switch, sinking the room into darkness for barely as second until Inko entered with the cake.

The strawberry cheesecake was decorated with strawberry chunks tastefully spread across the top, a 1 and 0 shaped candles lit in the middle with ten lit normal birthday candles surrounding them in the perimeter of the cake. The light emanating from the candles was enough to see how the shock initially plastered in Momo's face morphed into a radiant smile as soon as the rest started singing Happy Birthday. Inko placed the cake right in front of her, with the ten facing towards her husband's phone camera, before she took out her own phone and started taking pictures. As soon as they finished the song Momo blew out the candles, before turning towards her first real friend and trapping him in a tight hug, squishing her left cheek with his right one while still smiling. Izuku reciprocated her tight hug while Hisashi turned the lights back on, and as soon as Inko saw them she knew that would be a photo for the eternity, so she focused on them and snapped the picture. The flash of the camera brought the two kids back to reality and they quickly separated, blushing all the while, but the picture had already been taken, and it would always be cherished by both parents and kids.

They took more photos before cutting the cake, mainly Momo with her parents and with Izuku, but there were also photos with Momo and Izuku's parents, and finally a photo in which all six of them appeared, the two kids in the middle and the two couples flanking from behind each other's child, the mothers next to each other while the fathers took the outside. When the impromptu photo session was done the cake was cut and passed around, and more moans could be heard around the table when the first bites were taken. Momo ended up eating two full slices, and the beaming smile that grew in her face when Inko told her that she could take the rest of the cake home almost blinded everyone in the room. But then a dreaded event took place.

"Mom! Don't do it!" "Please, mama, don't show them!" were the simultaneous cries Izuku and Momo let out when Inko and Kaori had the idea of showing everyone baby photos of their children to everyone else. As much as they fought however, they only delayed the inevitable, and in the end, everyone ended up seeing them, much to the embarrassment and utter chagrin of the two children, who surpassed their earlier tomato impression, to the secret delight to all of their parents. Yūtarō was even able to sneak in a photo of their embarrassment without them noticing, which he sent at once through the newly created chat Hisashi had started for all four parents.

The house tour was held shortly after, Inko proudly displaying the highlights of the house, mainly the beautiful kitchen, with the latest appliances and a beautiful mix of hinoki wood kitchen cabinets and drawers and a sealed marble countertop, the stunning first floor bath, that almost felt like an infinity pool with the lake beside it, and the indoor Zen garden and onsen styled pool with built in waterfall. The Yaoyorozus, even though they were used to opulence due to their high-income environment, were impressed by the house, and when they learned the rough total cost of everything, they couldn't help but be surprised, specially Kaori.

"How did you do all this with such a small amount of money?" She couldn't help but wonder as they went back to the living room. It was Hisashi who answered her. "Well, the price of the land was very low because everything was in ruins and nobody seemed interested in restoring the house, which was the only condition the previous owner had to sell the land. She actually required us to demonstrate that we had renovation plans and a crew hired before she accepted to sell us the land deed. Apparently, this was her grandmother's house, and she had many good memories of it, so she didn't want it to be destroyed, but she didn't have the money to renovate it herself. Anyway, the low cost of the deed freed a good chunk of our budget, which we used for the ampliation of the original house along with the garden and especially the pool." Yūtarō nodded. "Yes, I can see how a pool so big and elaborate as the one you have could cost a pretty penny."

As they were entering the living room Momo gasped and pointed outside. Everyone looked towards where she was pointing and spied a pair of adult red foxes and their 5 cubs through the floor to ceiling windows that gave a lovely view of the lake. The animals were drinking water on the side of the lake near the house, illuminated by the soft light of the paper lanterns that hung around the house. Izuku turned towards Momo, and feeling her palpable excitement through the Force he offered, "Want to go outside and get close to them?" Her only response was to grab his hand and start running.

Kaori was about to stop them – after all, the foxes would be protective of their cubs, right? Nevertheless, before she could do so, Inko put a reassuring hand in her shoulder and said, "Don't worry, they aren't in danger. Izuku knows how to deal with animals, it's like he can communicate with them." Of course, her guests didn't need to know that was exactly what Izuku was doing. Kaori wasn't keen on believing in her at first, but as soon as she looked back outside all her worries were put to rest.

Momo had stopped running as soon as one of the two foxes turned its head in their direction. Izuku squeezed her hand briefly, as if giving her silent encouragement, before he started pulling them towards the animals. Worry started to grow inside her, but almost immediately, as if he knew her feelings, which a split second later she realized he did, he whispered, "Don't worry, they won't hurt you. Just approach carefully and gently so as not to startle them. I've calmed them down and assured them that we won't hurt them, but they will be still on edge. They have to protect their cubs at any cost, after all." She nodded, and they started to approach. The fox kept its eye on them, looking for any sign of hostility as they drew nearer. As soon as they got within around two meters, they smelled a strong odor.

"Wow, I had read that foxes had a strong scent, but I didn't expect _this_." Said Momo, to which he simply nodded. They were now less than a meter away of the family, and they all had their eyes on both newcomers, so to show their peaceful intentions, Izuku tugged his friend down and they both kneeled. To the questioning gaze she shot him he simply whispered back, "Let them approach you." Soon the curious cubs were sniffing the newcomers, and the bravest of them decided to climb Momo's folded legs and rest in her thighs. She, as not to startle the cub, slowly and gently lifted her hand and then put it in front of the little animal, letting it sniff her. Then she carefully started pet it and had to wonder at the fluffiness of its hide. By this point both parents had relaxed, and now were laying in the grass flanking the two humans and their cubs, watching them play.

They ended up playing for almost a quarter hour, both friends enjoying the animals' company. Then the two foxes decided to go, and the cubs simply followed their parents lead. Momo watched them go, wondering at how magical the whole day had been. She had gotten lost in the mountain, true; but she had also greatly improved her understanding of her quirk, had celebrated her birthday, had played with wild foxes and most importantly, she had made her first true friend. So zoned out she was that she only reacted to Izuku tickling her sides, making her snap out of it and start laughing while trying to get away from his deft hands.

"I-IZU, HA HA, S-S, HA HA HA, S- _STOP IT,_ HA HA HA!" To which he answered with a maniacal cackle and a shouted, " _NEVER_!" He kept tickling her for a few seconds more until she managed to escape and started to sprint towards the house, intent on running away from him. Izuku was hot on her tail, but he wasn't able to reach her before they entered the house and were stopped in their tracks by five words. "Momo, honey, we're going home!" The dreaded words made them turn towards their parents and whine at the same time " _No_ " and " _Why? I don't wanna._ "

Kaori simply smiled at them at their adorable pouts. "Come on Momo, it's really late. Besides I'm sure you can come see Izuku soon enough." She chuckled at the complete 180 that the kids' faces had done. "Really?" "Yes, Momo, really." This was complimented by a smiling Inko adding, "We'd love you to have you here again." Then she turned to Izuku and said, "We could also go visit them sometime." At this both kids grew an enormous smile and Izuku fist pumped while the two sets of parents put a hand in front of their eyes trying to cover them from the sparkles that seemed to be emanating from the two little beings. That didn't prevent Kaori from snapping another picture that would forever be treasured by the four parents though.

The goodbyes were fairly quick, given that it was fairly late, as Kaori had said, but there was enough time for a quick hug between the two kids. Later that night both would lay in bed thinking about of their new friend and the great time they had spent together. Little did they know that they would both fondly remember this day as one of the best in their lives.

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 **1: Look up Force power on google, the first entry should be the wookiepedia one. Be sure you are in the legends page, as the abilities I'm referring to are the ones listed there.**

 **A/N: It's been a while, hasn't it? And as an apology for being gone, you get a chapter 45 words short of being 8k long, which is 2k short from being half the length of the entire story up until now lol. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Also, I plan to post some images in my Ao3 about the house, if you want to visualize it. Both my username and the story's name are the same there. See y'all on the next one.**

 **P.S.: I'll probably take sometime soon to fix some errors I've spotted through the story, so if you notice the story getting updated and the number of chapters staying the same, that's the reason why.**


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